Lithuanian border guards detain 17 irregular migrants from Belarus

Lithuanian border authorities apprehended 17 irregular migrants attempting to cross from Belarus over the past day, the State Border Guard Service (VSAT) reported on Tuesday.

The detentions occurred in the Varėna district, near the Čepkeliai State Nature Reserve, where challenging terrain and natural barriers prevent the installation of physical fencing. VSAT monitors the area using surveillance cameras and other security measures. The migrants were divided into two groups, both consisting of young men.

Six of those detained identified themselves as citizens of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, two as Burundian, and one as Guinean. A second group included seven individuals from Afghanistan and one from Egypt.

Since the start of the year, Lithuanian authorities have blocked 403 irregular migrants from entering the country. In 2025, there were over 1,600 recorded attempts to cross illegally from Belarus, compared to 1,002 in 2024. Since the onset of the migration crisis orchestrated by Belarus in 2021, Lithuania has prevented nearly 25,000 unauthorised entries.

Latvian border guards also reported intercepting 108 irregular migrants on Monday, while Polish authorities recorded eight such cases the previous day.