Lithuanian border guards detained a group of 14 migrants in Ignalina District on Monday as they tried to enter the country from Belarus. Five of them needed medical assistance and complained about brutal treatment by Belarusian border guards, the State Border Guard Service (VSAT) said on Tuesday.
Lithuanian officers detained 12 men and two women. Five had health issues, saying they were subjected to beatings and abuse by Belarusian officers. While two people remained in hospital on Tuesday, the other people were returned to Belarus.
Some 21,430 migrants have been refused entry since August 3, 2021, when Lithuania adopted the policy of pushbacks in response to the Minsk regime opening an irregular migration corridor.
Some 2,113 people have been refused entry to Lithuania from Belarus so far this year, according to VSAT.
Read more: Migration crisis in Baltics and Poland
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