Lithuania plans to use 15 million euros provided by the European Commission to upgrade electronic border surveillance systems at four frontier stations on the country’s border with Russia.
“Having assessed the applications submitted by the member states, the European Commission has allocated 15.4 million euros in the European Union support to Lithuania for upgrading electronic border surveillance systems,” the Interior Ministry said in a comment sent to BNS.
According to the ministry, the systems will be upgraded at the Rociškės Frontier Station (the stretch of 22.4 km), the Vištytis Frontier Station (34.4 km), the Viešvilė Frontier Station (30.6 km), and the Plaškiai Frontier Station (25.9 km).
The State Border Guard Service (VSAT) plans to start the upgrade next year and complete it in 2027.
In its application to the EC, Lithuania also requested money for nine other frontier stations, but no funding was received for upgrading the systems, the ministry said.
The commission has included those applications in the reserve list of projects under the program for strengthening border surveillance capacities at the borders with Russia and Belarus, for which the EC plans to allocate funding when additional EU funds become available.
In total, the EC allocated 170 million euros to six member states in December to strengthen border surveillance at the borders with Russia and Belarus.
The aim is to help them fight the flow of irregular migrants.
The influx of irregular migrants from Belarus into the EU’s eastern member states began in 2021. The West says it is orchestrated by the Minsk regime.
Almost 4,200 irregular migrants crossed into Lithuania from Belarus in 2021. However, the vast majority of them fled Lithuania once they were allowed to move freely.
Lithuanian border guards have recorded around 22,900 attempted border crossings from Belarus since August 2021, when they were given the right to turn away irregular migrants.
Irregular migrants have been barred from entering Lithuania from Belarus at non-designated places 1,002 times so far this year.
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