Katelynas urges EU to strengthen cooperation on migrant returns

Lithuanian Interior Minister Martynas Katelynas has called on the European Union to work more closely with countries of origin to return people who have no right to remain in the bloc, LRT reported.

“We need to move from discussion to results on returns,” Katelynas said in a statement issued by the Interior Ministry on Friday. He said EU countries needed practical ways to carry out return decisions, backed by stronger political pressure and closer cooperation with countries of origin.

Speaking at the EU Justice and Home Affairs Council meeting in Luxembourg, Katelynas said migration risks should be identified and addressed before they reach the EU’s external borders. Ministers also discussed the Schengen area, migration management, drug-related violence and intimidation, and preparations for emerging migration and security threats.

On Schengen, Katelynas stressed the need for stronger protection of the EU’s external borders, closer cooperation between law enforcement agencies and greater use of modern technology. He also called for stronger information-sharing and more investment in readiness to counter what he described as threats from Russia, including cyberattacks, disinformation and the malicious use of drones.

Lithuania said it would raise these issues during its presidency of the Council of the European Union in the first half of 2027.