Lithuanian Interior Minister Agnė Bilotaitė says she has agreed with the visiting Frontex chief, Fabrice Leggeri, to deploy more resources for patrolling the country's border with Belarus.
“On July 10, Lithuania asked Frontex for rapid response forces, 60 officers, four questioning teams with interpreters, 30 vehicles, two helicopters and two sets of thermal vision equipment. Some 20 officers and 14 vehicles are already on patrol in Lithuania, and that is a very clear message that Lithuania is not alone,” Bilotaitė told reporters on Monday.
During meetings in Slovenia last week, the European Border and Coast Guard Agency Frontex agreed to activate the Rapid Border Intervention mechanism.
The Frontex chief says one of the key goals of his visit to Lithuania is to see the real situation and estimate what assistance Lithuania needs.
According to Leggeri, Frontex can share its expertise in resolving migration and migrant return issues.
Twenty-six Frontex officers are now patrolling on the Lithuanian border with officers from the State Border Guard Service (VSAT), and the number is expected to increase to 60. The plan is to send up to 100 people to the Lithuania, Poland and Latvia.
The Interior Ministry also said it had signed an assistance action plan with the European Asylum Support Office (EASO). Migration experts and interpreters are to come to Lithuania shortly to help specialists of the country's Migration Department to step up the processing of asylum applications, to communicate with migrants and discuss their return.
European Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson earlier vowed 10-12 million euros in financial assistance for Lithuania from the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund, expected to reach Lithuania in August.
Over 1,900 irregular migrants have been detained in Lithuania so far this year. Lithuanian officials have accused the Belarusian government of facilitating migrant smuggling.
Correction: the previous version of this article said up to 200 Frontex officers could be deployed to Lithuania. The actual number is 100.
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