Lithuanian Border Guards Halt Illegal Crossing via Underground Tunnel
Lithuanian border patrols successfully thwarted an attempt to breach the border from Belarus through an underground tunnel, detaining 38 illegal migrants who claimed to be citizens of Afghanistan and Iran. The incident occurred in the Šalčininkai district, where a group of 36 men and two women tried to enter Lithuania at night through a specially dug tunnel. Border guards spotted the violators and apprehended them after a chase through a dark forested area.
Only a few of the detained migrants carried identification documents. Lithuanian authorities offered them humanitarian aid packages containing food and essential items, but most migrants refused the assistance. As a result, the detainees were returned to Belarus. Lithuania's State Security Service has accused Belarusian officials of involvement in organizing such attempts, stating that 'these tunnels are dug, and migrants try to crawl through them into Lithuania not without the knowledge of Belarusian officials.'
Ongoing Illegal Migration Challenge
Since the start of the year, Lithuanian border guards have detained 731 migrants attempting to enter the country illegally from Belarus. Notably, 18 cases have been recorded where illegal migrants entered Lithuania through a tunnel dug from Belarusian territory. All 18 detainees were young men, most also claiming to be Afghan nationals, though only three held Afghan passports. One detainee claimed to be from Sri Lanka. Lithuanian border guards have also returned 18 migrants to Belarus.
Near the scene, law enforcement stopped a car with Lithuanian license plates carrying two Ukrainian citizens—a 41-year-old man and a 33-year-old woman. This incident underscores the ongoing issue of illegal migration and the challenges Lithuania faces at its borders.
The situation with illegal migration in Lithuania, particularly along the border with Belarus, remains a pressing concern requiring constant attention from authorities. The increasing number of attempts to turn the border into a migrant route, along with the construction of underground tunnels, points to organized groups that may receive support from certain Belarusian state structures. This complicates the work of border guards and calls for more coordinated international action to combat this phenomenon.