Фото: VSAT
In 2025, the State Border Guard Service of Lithuania detained 1,288 migrants who arrived from Latvia after previously illegally crossing the Belarusian-Latvian border. They subsequently attempted to reach Western European countries via Lithuania and Poland.
Lithuanian border guards report more than a twofold increase in secondary migration. In 2024, 540 such migrants were detained.
“Most of those detained during secondary migration from Latvia told Lithuanian border guards that they had legally arrived in Russia by plane from their countries of origin, holding valid travel documents. From there, the migrants traveled by car to Belarus and, with the help of escorts, illegally crossed the border into Latvia. There, at a prearranged location, they were met by people who were supposed to transport them to their destination countries.
Some of those detained also indicated a route from their countries of origin via the United Arab Emirates or Turkey directly to Belarus,” the Lithuanian border service said.
It should be noted that the increase in the number of detainees may also be linked to the resumption of controls by Poland on the border with Lithuania. The border service reported that 825 people were detained by Lithuanian officers and 436 by Polish officers. Most frequently detained were citizens of Somalia (459 people) and Afghanistan (162). Seventeen percent of the migrants fled from Latvian accommodation centers for foreigners, having previously applied for asylum in Latvia.
Last year, 85 cases were also initiated over the transportation of migrants, and 101 suspects were detained. Those detained for transporting migrants included citizens of Ukraine (26), Latvia (24), Lithuania (17), Estonia (11), and other countries.
The statement also notes that in 2025 the Latvian border service registered 12,000 attempts to violate the border, which is 2.3 times more than in 2024.