Lithuania blocks record 36 irregular migrants at Belarus border this year

Lithuanian border guards turned away 36 irregular migrants attempting to cross from Belarus last week, the highest weekly total recorded in 2026, the State Border Guard Service (VSAT) reported Sunday.

The previous peak this year was 35 blocked crossings on April 2. Since January, Lithuania has denied entry to 386 migrants at its eastern border, compared to 1,600 attempts in 2025 and 1,002 in 2024.

Latvian authorities intercepted 56 irregular migrants on Saturday, while Polish officials reported no detections on Friday. Morning dew has aided border patrols in tracking footprints, according to VSAT.

Nearly 25,000 migrants have been blocked from entering Lithuania since the start of the Belarus-orchestrated migration crisis in 2021. Western officials accuse Minsk of systematically facilitating illegal crossings into EU member states.