Lithuania denies entry to 958 people under new EU border control system

Lithuania has refused entry to 958 individuals on security grounds since the gradual rollout of the EU’s new automated border control system, state border guards reported Friday.

The Entry/Exit System (EES), now fully operational across the EU, replaces passport stamps with digital registration to streamline travel and enhance security. Lithuania’s State Border Guard Service (VSAT) began phasing in the system in October, according to agency spokesperson Giedrius Mišutis, cited by the LRT news service.

Under the EES, eight standardized refusal criteria apply EU-wide, two of which are security-related. Mišutis stated that 863 individuals were denied entry for posing a “threat to public order, internal security, public health, or international relations” in one or more member states. An additional 95 were barred due to existing alerts in the Schengen Information System or national databases, indicating prior refusals or security flags.

“These are individuals about whom EU countries already have information confirming they cannot be admitted into the Union,” Mišutis explained.

The European Commission noted that since the system’s initial launch last October, over 52 million border crossings into the EU have been recorded digitally. More than 27,000 entries were denied during this period, including nearly 700 cases where travelers were deemed security risks to the bloc.

While Friday marked the EES’s official full activation date, Lithuania implemented it progressively, starting with airports before extending it to land and sea crossings. “Each member state could choose its own path,” Mišutis said, confirming the transition period has now ended.

The system is used by 27 EU countries—excluding Ireland and Cyprus—as well as Norway, Iceland, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein, all part of the Schengen free-movement zone. Short-stay non-EU travelers must submit passport details, fingerprints, and facial images at automated border posts, creating a digital file to improve data-sharing among authorities and track entry/exit dates.