Lithuanian Parliament Approves Draft Law On Emergency Migrant Removals

Lithuania's Seimas has approved a draft law allowing migrant removals from the country's territory during a state of emergency, the parliament said on Tuesday.

"The Seimas adopted amendments to the law on the state border and its protection, according to which it was decided to enshrine the removal of illegal migrants who violated the procedure of crossing the border during a state of emergency," the statement published on the parliament's website read.

The document also said that the expulsion of illegal migrants would be possible within the border strip up to 5 kilometers (3 miles) deep into the country's territory.

A crisis linked to illegal migrant crossings on the borders of the EU's Latvia, Lithuania and Poland and their neighbor Belarus has been going on since 2021. The EU has accused Belarus of orchestrating the crisis and encouraging the migrant flow.

Belarus' border guards have reported over 4,500 refugees being turned away from across the border and 10 deaths as a result in 2023.