Lithuania put on list of EU countries facing migration risks - ministry

VILNIUS - Lithuania has been put included in the category of EU countries facing migration risks, the Interior Ministry announced on Wednesday.

Lithuania has been put on the list of such countries in the European Commission's annual report on migration and asylum and in the assessment of the migration burden experienced by member states, the statement said.

According to the report, Lithuania is among those EU member states that will be eligible for EU support due to the migration pressure they face, and it will include additional EU funding and operational and technical assistance from EU agencies such as Frontex, Europol, and the European Union Agency for Asylum.

Interior Minister Vladislav Kondratovic says that this is a clear signal that the challenge of instrumentalized migration is being recognized and that Lithuania's efforts to protect the EU's external borders are being appreciated.

"Lithuania has been experiencing instrumentalized attacks for several years in a row, with officers constantly repelling attempts to illegally enter Lithuanian territory. This year, there have been more than 1,500 such attempts," the minister said.

According to the Interior Ministry, discussions will be held at the national level in the coming weeks to find the best solutions for Lithuania. There are several possible solutions: accepting asylum seekers from member states that are experiencing the greatest burden, paying a financial contribution equivalent to 20,000 euros for each person that the country does not accept, or providing operational assistance by sending officers, experts or equipment to countries facing migration pressure.

Figures from the Interior Ministry show that Lithuanian border guards have prevented more than 24,000 attempts to cross the border illegally since 2021.