Lithuania detains 35 Afghan and Iraqi migrants crossing from Belarus

Lithuanian border guards have detained 35 Afghan and Iraqi migrants who crossed into Lithuania from Belarus, the Lithuania’s State Border Guard Service (VSAT) said.

The group was detected on Thursday evening after crossing the border near Katras village in the Varėna district, part of the Čepkeliai nature reserve.

Lithuanian authorities launched a large-scale operation to locate the migrants, deploying a VSAT helicopter, border guards, special forces and sniffer dogs. Police also assisted in the operation.

The migrants split into several groups but were detained before they could travel deeper into Lithuanian territory.

All 35 detainees were men aged approximately 20 to 30. Eleven had identification documents, while the others had none.

The VSAT said individual assessments found no security threats among the group. By Friday morning, 29 of the migrants had been denied entry and returned to Belarus in accordance with Lithuanian law.

Interviews with five others were still underway, while another migrant was taken to a medical facility for examination after reporting health problems.

Lithuanian border authorities said they have prevented 1,661 migrants from illegally entering the country from Belarus so far this year.