Subscribe here: [ Ссылка ] The law provides for the deportation of asylum seekers who have arrived illegally in the territory, and the creation of a civilian force to support the border guards.

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The bill should be passed by Lithuanian MPs on Tuesday, April 25. According to the Interior Ministry in Vilnius, it is intended to guarantee national security against possible destabilization attempts by nearby Belarus. NGOs see it above all as a way of perpetuating the illegal "pushback" of migrants without giving them the opportunity to apply for asylum that Lithuania has been practicing since the summer of 2021.

Passed on second reading by a large majority of parliamentarians on Thursday, April 20, the amendment to the state border law provides that in "emergency situations," such as a massive influx of foreign nationals at the country's borders, the government will be able to limit access to the territory. Border guards will then be authorized to expel migrants who have entered illegally and are within a 5-kilometer zone from the border. An exception was added for people fleeing armed conflict or persecution, or needing humanitarian aid.

"At first glance, the proposal seems quite balanced and even includes guarantees," said Viktor Ostrovnoj, head of advocacy at the Lithuanian Red Cross Asylum and Migration Program. However, he pointed out that the state of emergency – implemented for the first time on August 3, 2021, due to an emergency on the border with Belarus – is still in place. With the vote of the MPs, "what was supposed to be a temporary measure to deal with short-term crises, risks becoming a new status quo," he added.

Over 20,000 pushbacks
Erika Leonaite, head of the ombudspersons' office at the Parliament, also criticized the text. She thinks it creates "the illusion" that Lithuania will be able to continue to guarantee the right to asylum. She argued, "it is an immigration service and not the border guards in the forest who have the skills to determine whether a person is fleeing persecution, as defined by the [UN] Convention relating to the Status of Refugees."

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#eudebates the unique initiative aiming to promote debate, dialogue, knowledge, participation and communication among citizens. #Lithuania #Migration #VISA #migrants #Legalmigration #talents #Ukraine #migrantworkers #FRONTEX #returns

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