As Russia appears to be courting Minsk to become actively involved in its war against Ukraine, a Vilnius politician is calling for more restrictions on movement across the Lithuania-Belarus border, for both Belarusians and Lithuanians.
Russian President Vladimir Putin’s recent visit to Minsk has been seen as a sign that Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko supports Moscow’s brutal war.
Lithuanian MEP Petras Auštrevičius insists: if the two regimes are becoming more and more similar, Vilnius should impose the same sanctions on Belarusian citizens as it does on Russians.
“I am convinced that the difference between Belarusian and Russian citizens is shrinking,” Auštrevičius says.
In his view, Belarusian travellers should be subject to the same restrictions as Russians, that is, allowed into Lithuania only if they are fleeing persecution, are political activists, or members of the opposition.
“But for everyone else to think that this is just an oasis of relaxation and that one can avoid, I would say, the harsh reality of Lukashenko would be a step too far,” the MEP said.
Political analyst Maksimas Milta disagrees, saying that Belarusians are different, as the summer of 2020 showed with the protests of 100,000 people.
“The easiest way to score some banal political points is by trying to antagonise [and saying that] every Belarusian who comes to Lithuania is a source of danger. I don’t think so,” the political scientist says.
Around 900,000 Belarusians travelled to Lithuania last year, some for short visits while others for more permanent stays.
Evelina Gudzinskaitė, head of the Migration Department, says the majority of Belarusians come to Lithuania to work, which means that they are needed for the country’s economy.
Moreover, she says, since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, Belarusians wishing to cross the border have been subject to additional checks and the issuance of visas has been limited.
“We are in constant consultation with the State Security Department, the police and the Border Guard Service on every foreigner who comes here. Moreover, Belarusian and Russian citizens are now additionally asked to fill in a questionnaire on their attitude towards the war in Ukraine,” explains the head of the Migration Department.
The Lithuanian government is monitoring the situation in Belarus and additional measures would be taken if necessary, says Interior Minister Agnė Bilotaitė.
“The situation with Belarus is always sensitive. And the sensitivity is such that at any time there could be a question about the border regime in general,” says Bilotaitė.
MEP Auštrevičius believes that Lithuanians travelling to Belarus are also a sensitive issue.
The summer was the peak season for travel, but Lithuanians have been making use of the visa-free regime introduced by Minsk all year round, crossing the Belarusian border almost 400,000 times.
Auštrevičius believes that Lithuanians should also be made to answer additional questions at the border. “Do you agree that the money you spend in Belarus should be used against Ukraine and possibly against Lithuania?” the politician gives an example.
In addition, there should be quotas, he believes, “to set how frequently one can visit Belarus”.
The interior minister says that the idea is worth considering, but difficult to implement. For one, there is no law that would allow the Lithuanian government to limit where and how frequently Lithuanians can travel.
“At the moment, we do not have such regulation because there are no legal possibilities. It could be considered, but the legal aspects should be weighed first,” Bilotaitė says.
Belarus has announced that it will extend the visa-free regime for Lithuanian citizens until the end of 2023. Lithuanian security services, however, have urged citizens to refrain from travelling to Belarus.
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