The intimidation of the Lithuanian population by illegal migrants, which, among other things, has provoked protests against their expected accommodation in the small town of the Divine, is probably the activity of interest groups against the Lithuanian state, the Minister of the Interior Agne Bilotaite pointed out on Monday.
“Various groups are actively involved in this situation, including those with political interests and those who may be engaged in certain illegal activities. This is very noticeable,” the minister representing the Conservative Party “Fatherland Union – Lithuanian Christian Democrats” told reporters. “.
The government has reportedly planned to temporarily set up a refugee accommodation center in the former school dormitory in the so-called Divine Loop in the south of Lithuania, which is surrounded on three sides by Belarusian territory, but residents of the town are protesting against this and their relatives. security.
On Friday, protesters met with Bilotaite’s deputy Vitalijs Dmitrijevs, police commissioner Renats Poželis and prime minister Ingrida Šimonīte’s adviser Ķētutis Lančinsks, but they refused to make concessions, although officials stressed that the dormitories to find another place of residence for them from September 1. An agreement could not be reached on Saturday either, and residents are still not allowing work to be done to set up a refugee center.
As the Minister has now pointed out, the government does not intend to abandon its plans for the Divine.
“I want to emphasize clearly – it is planned to accommodate children, vulnerable groups. It is decided that until September 1. However, people are misled and intimidated because there are some interests and motives. This is very bad, because in the current situation, when we have to be united, who want to get political dividends or something else, because this settlement has its own specifics, “she added.
As Bilotaite explained, if migrants are accommodated in Divine, the presence of the police will increase there and this may cause concern for people who engage in illegal activities.
“Intimidation and incitement of people are actions against the state,” the minister said.
She also pointed out that a decision had already been made to accommodate illegal migrants at the Rūdininkai landfill, where up to 1,500 people could be accommodated and it would not be difficult to guarantee security.
“Tents are already being brought there, people are working, and I hope that we will be able to take people there very soon. It is clear that it is not possible to accommodate even more people in the border guard sections, because it complicates the work of our border guards,” Bilotaite added.
The flow of illegal migrants across the Lithuanian-Belarusian border has reportedly increased sharply recently. Since the beginning of this year, the total number of detained illegal immigrants has reached 2,730 – 34 times more than in the whole of last year.
In July alone, 2,070 cases of illegal border crossings were detected, while in June – 473 such cases, in May – 77, in April – 70, but in March – only eight. Most illegal migrants want to enter Western European countries through Lithuania.
Lithuanian officials believe that the Belarussian regime is deliberately facilitating the flow of migrants across the border.
Due to the migration crisis, a state of emergency has been declared in Lithuania.
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