Presidency: Frontex sends helicopters to Lithuania to monitor the border with Belarus

This was announced after President Gitanas Nausėda’s remote video meeting with Frontex leader Fabrice Legger, Lithuania’s efforts to cope with the increased flows of illegal migration from Belarus.

To strengthen the monitoring of the Lithuanian border with Belarus, a helicopter will be sent from Poland, as well as the sending of an additional helicopter from Germany will be coordinated, the report said.

Another reinforcement will be sent to Lithuania this weekend and next week – interpreters, staff to work with migrants, additional armed patrols.

G. Nausėda told the head of Frontex that Lithuania would also need patrol cars and mobile thermal imagers.

According to the Presidency, F. Leggeri, taking into account the received request from Lithuania, informed that he is activating the mechanism for providing emergency border assistance, which will generate additional forces in a very short period of time.

So far, Frontex has promised to send 30 officers to Lithuania to strengthen border security by mid-July.

A total of 1,577 illegal migrants were detained on the Lithuanian border with Belarus this year, several times more than last year. Most migrants come from the Middle East and Africa.

Lithuanian officials say the increased migration flows are an organized hybrid attack by the Belarusian regime.

Minsk claims that European Union (EU) sanctions no longer deter migrants on Belarusian territory.

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