Lithuania's new border measures

VILNIUS - A new measure for controling people crossing the externalSchengen border will be applied right next to the Lithuania-Russia border.

Access to the specially-marked State Border Guard Zone will be restrictedfrom June 1 to those possessing free permits, the State Border Guard Service(SBGS) announced Friday.

This same measure has been valid in Lithuania'sborder with Belarusfor a few years, and hasn't caused any problems.

As the government approved last year the limits of the border zone near thefrontier with Russiaand after all marking procedures in the area were completed, Lithuanian border guard officers willstart monitoring all persons who enter the aforementioned zone. As mostviolators of border limits and traffickers are caught in this particular area,this measure will help border guards control the presence of persons engagingin illegal activities in vulnerable strips, and, accordingly, punish them incase of violations of the established regulations.

Locals will not be subjected to inconveniences, as they will be issuedpermits to enter the zone, which will be valid for a one year period. Persons owningreal estate in the border zone will be issued permits valid for up to a threeyear period.

Those who do not have the permit are prohibited from entering the borderzone, and violations will result in administrative charges. First detainment ofillegal entering of the zone will carry a warning or a monetary fine of up to300 litas (EUR 90). Getting caught on repeated occasions can result in finesranging 300 - 600 litas.