Lithuania restores 117 Belarusian officials to banned entry list after procedural delay

Lithuania has readded 117 Belarusian officials to its list of personae non gratae after a one-day procedural lapse allowed them temporary access, state news agency BNS reported Wednesday, citing the Migration Department and the Interior Ministry.

The officials—accused of human rights violations—were removed from the banned entry list on Tuesday due to an expired restriction order, creating a brief window where they could theoretically enter Lithuania. The Interior Ministry confirmed to BNS that it received the Foreign Ministry’s request to extend the ban only on Tuesday afternoon, after the previous order had lapsed.

Interior Minister Vladislav Kondratovič told BNS the delay was procedural and stressed that the risk of entry remained minimal. “There’s no reason to think these individuals could immediately travel here. Other countries likely have similar sanctions, so while a theoretical possibility exists, practical entry is near impossible,” he said.

The Foreign Ministry later clarified that even if the officials attempted to cross the border, enhanced checks and existing visa denials would block their entry. “The chance they could exploit this gap to come to Lithuania is extremely low—practically zero,” the ministry stated, noting the 117 individuals are linked to Belarusian security structures and face systematic travel bans.

The restrictions, initially imposed in 2021, target officials involved in the disputed 2020 Belarusian presidential election, repression of opposition figures, civil society, and media. Eleven of those listed also face EU sanctions. Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys has proposed extending the ban for another five years.