Isamaa leader: Estonia must help Lithuania stop migration pressure

TALLINN – According to the Lithuanian border guard, more than 1,000 illegal immigrants have already been apprehended this year, and according to the chairman of the opposition Estonian Isamaa party Helir-Valdor Seeder, the Estonian government cannot remain a silent bystander and must offer Lithuania immediate assistance in controlling illegal migration.

According to the Isamaa chairman, the flows of illegal immigration that have hit Lithuania must be taken extremely seriously. "This is an obvious provocation by Belarus. Such migration pressures are destabilizing the situation in our entire region. Illegal immigration is a serious security threat and the Estonian government must offer Lithuania support to stop the migration," Seeder said.

According to Seeder, it is incomprehensible why the Estonian government is silent and why no concrete steps are being taken to help Lithuania. "Friends must be helped. Our ally must be offered immediate help to alleviate the problem. Estonia could support Lithuania in strengthening border controls and with background checks on people in Lithuanian accommodation camps. In addition, financial assistance and possible solutions for deporting illegal immigrants could be considered," he added.

"Estonia's assistance to Lithuania would be a clear signal to the Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko and the general public that the Baltic states will not leave each other in trouble," Seeder said.