Lithuanian border guards stop 20 migrants attempting to enter from Belarus via tunnel

Lithuania’s State Border Guard Service (VSAT) reported on Tuesday that 20 irregular migrants were intercepted at the border with Belarus after authorities discovered an underground tunnel in the country’s southern region, according to a report by the 15min news portal.

The tunnel was dug with the apparent intention of allowing undetected crossings from Belarus into Lithuania. VSAT chief Rustamas Liubajevas noted that such tunnels have been detected frequently in the area, aided by the region’s forested terrain, which provides cover for groups attempting to evade authorities.

In June, a similar operation in the Varėna district saw border guards and police search for migrants after another tunnel was found. While most were stopped, authorities suspect two groups of migrants, each numbering over a dozen, may have entered Lithuania undetected. Liubajevas stated that such successful illegal entries remain rare.

On Monday, Latvian border guards stopped 76 migrants, while Polish authorities recorded four attempted illegal crossings on Sunday. This year, Lithuania has denied entry to nearly 1,000 migrants. In 2025, over 1,600 illegal entry attempts were recorded from Belarus, compared to 1,002 the previous year.

A surge of migrant crossings into the EU’s eastern members from Belarus began in 2021, with Western officials accusing Minsk of orchestrating the flows.