Lithuania announced on Monday that it had completed the construction of a barrier along its border with Belarus, aimed at fighting illegal immigration. The barrier, in the form of a four-meter fence and barbed wire, stretches some 550 kilometers from a common border of some 700 kilometers.
“In all sections, the work is 100% complete,” Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte told reporters.
On the rest of the border, which runs through swamps, lakes and rivers, it is “technically impossible” to build a physical barrier, he added.
A controversial tactic
In Lithuania, illegal immigration has increased this year, with around 4,200 immigrants, mainly from the Middle East and Africa, having managed to cross the border from Belarus. The West has accused the Belarusian regime of orchestrating this influx with its Russian ally, as part of a “hybrid” attack, which Minsk denies.
Despite these accusations, Ingrida Simonyte said that her country would continue with this controversial tactic and would study the legal possibilities that would allow it to maintain it even without imposing a state of emergency. However, she admitted, this would be challenging in the context of international law on this issue.
Last Saturday, border guards denied entry to 125 migrants, the highest number since the beginning of the year.
Source: BFM TV
