Lithuanian border guards detained 31 irregular migrants at the border with Belarus overnight and on Wednesday morning.
Two groups – one of 10 people and the other of 11 – were detained in the southern district of Lazdijai, Giedrius Mišutis, a spokesperson for the State Border Guard Service (VSAT), told BNS.
According to border officials, the migrants are citizens of Afghanistan and Pakistan. Another 10 migrants who had illegally entered Lithuania were detained in the morning.
On Tuesday, four migrants were turned away after attempting to cross the border in the eastern district of Ignalina during the day.
This marks the first time in months that Lithuania has detained several groups of migrants after the country adopted the policy of so-called pushbacks in 2021. Vilnius took the decision after the Minsk regime opened a migration corridor in response to sanctions, which were placed in the wake of the brutal repressions against the opposition in Belarus.
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