Lithuania completes the construction of a 550-kilometre fence covering the border with Belarus

RIGA, 30 Aug. (DPA/EP) -

Lithuania has announced that the works on the almost 550-kilometer fence that covers the border with Belarus have been completed, at a time when Vilnius has denounced an increase in crossings, allegedly directed by the Belarusian president, Alxander Lukashenko, in retaliation for the sanctions of the European Union.

"The physical barrier will help border guards to counter illegal immigration more effectively," Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte said in a statement. It is a four meter high fence topped by barbed wire.

Lithuania has a border of almost 680 kilometers with Belarus, of which more than one hundred run through rivers and lakes. In recent months, attempts to cross have been growing, so much so that record figures have been reached, with 124 already last week and 125 this Monday.

These latest figures are reminiscent of those recorded during the height of the migration crisis last year. Migrants are people whose nationality is from countries in the Middle East, such as Syria or Afghanistan, as well as others from Africa.

Since mid-2021, Lithuania has tightened its immigration policies due to the large flow of people who have been trying to cross from Belarus. For the Government of Vilnius, Minsk has used migration to pressure the European authorities in retaliation for the sanctions that were imposed on it.