Lithuanian and Polish authorities rescue migrants trapped in swamp near border

Lithuanian and Polish emergency services have rescued two migrants trapped in a swamp near the border in Lithuania’s Vilkaviškis district, state broadcaster LRT reports.

Poland’s Emergency Response Centre first alerted Lithuanian authorities at 1:55 AM on Tuesday, reporting that four individuals were in distress in a waterlogged area on the Lithuanian side, with contact lost. Coordinates were provided for two English-speaking migrants.

Firefighters and rescuers located the pair in Graužiniai village, Gražiškių elderate. One person was found on the swamp’s edge, while the other was stranded 20–30 metres into the water. Using rescue equipment and ropes, crews pulled the second individual to shore. Both were transferred to Vilkaviškis Hospital for medical attention.

Lithuania’s State Border Guard Service (VSAT) confirmed the rescued individuals were undocumented migrants from Somalia. Two others from the group had left the area before authorities arrived but were later found unharmed about a kilometre away.

All four migrants were placed in Lithuania’s Foreigners’ Registration Centre. VSAT spokesperson Giedrius Mišutis told LRT they likely entered from Latvia and may be returned there under EU asylum procedures.

The influx of migrants into eastern EU states via Belarus began in 2021, with Western officials accusing Minsk of orchestrating the crossings.