MigrationNews

Fabrice Leggeri, Executive Director of FRONTEX, visits Lithuania to get acquainted with the developing situation on the Lithuania/Belarus border

Fabrice Leggeri, Executive Director of the European Border and Coast Guard Agency FRONTEX, got acquainted with the situation in Lithuania, where illegal migration flows have increased several times.

On Sunday, the guest visited the Aliens Registration Center in Pabradė. A temporary tent camp has been built in this unit of the SBGS, to which illegal migrants detained at the border are transferred.

On Monday, F. Leggeri met with the Minister of the Interior Agne Bilotaitė and the Commander of the SBGS, General Rustas Liubajevs, in Vilnius. A further plan of measures to help increase the number of illegal migrants was discussed during the meeting.

The European Border and Coast Guard Agency FRONTEX will send more forces to Lithuania than originally planned. They are taught on the Lithuanian-Belarusian border.

Instead of the 30 FRONTEX officials previously requested, the SBGS submitted an adjusted need to the Agency. At present, 60 patrols to carry out physical border protection and surveillance, 30 cars, two helicopters and a car with thermal imaging equipment are requested to be used to strengthen the security of the Lithuanian-Belarusian border. Lithuanian border guards will also be assisted by additional teams of survey specialists with translators. They will collect information on the countries of origin of detained illegal migrants, travel circumstances and purposes, and assist in the identification of detainees.

FRONTEX approved the activation of the Rapid Border Intervention Mechanism, so part of the requested European Union border guards had already arrived in Lithuania and started joint service with Lithuanian colleagues.

On Monday afternoon, F. Leggeri also got acquainted with the activities of the Druskininkai firewall of the Varėna border team of the SBGS. During the visit, the guest was presented with the latest information on the situation on the Lithuanian-Belarusian border, and the tendencies of illegal migration.

The Executive Director of FRONTEX visited the protected section of the Druskininkai firewall on the border with Belarus, where the construction of a barbed wire fence was started, communicated with the officials of the FRONTEX Permanent Corps in Lithuania, and answered questions from the media.