Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson: No new date or venue has been set for the meeting between Araghchi and Witkoff, and no negotiations will take place until the outcome is guaranteed
Palestinian platforms: Settlers storm Al-Aqsa Mosque complex under the protection of the occupation police
Palestinian platforms: The IOF detonated a booby-trapped robot east of the al-Zaytoun neighborhood, south of Gaza City
Syrian Defense: We call on all parties in Sweida to cooperate with security forces and exercise restraint
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: The Lebanese Army is continuing its investigations and will later announce any information that does not affect the confidentiality of the investigation
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: It has not yet been determined whether the detainees belong to ISIS or another organization
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: Around 10 people of different nationalities, including Lebanese nationals, were detained
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: The Lebanese army arrested a number of people in the Matn area of Mount Lebanon with possession it has not disclosed
Gaza Civil Defense spokesman: We have strong indications that there are martyrs, injuries, and trapped people in the Salah al-Din area
Gaza Civil Defense spokesman: Citizens should avoid Salah al-Din Street because anyone who approaches it is at risk of being directly targeted

Lithuania sues Belarus for €200mn over border crisis

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: News websites
  • 28 May 2025 09:13
  • 1 Shares
3 Min Read

Lithuania seeks over €200mn from Belarus at the ICJ, accusing Minsk of orchestrating a migrant influx in retaliation for EU sanctions.

Listen
  • x
  • The bench of the International Court of Justice is seen in this undated photo (AFP)
    The bench of the International Court of Justice is seen in this undated photo. (AFP)

Lithuania has launched legal proceedings against Belarus at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), seeking more than €200 million ($227 million) in damages over what it called a deliberately orchestrated migrant crisis. The claim, reported by local news agency BNS, accuses Minsk of engineering an influx of asylum seekers in retaliation for European sanctions imposed after Belarus' 2020 presidential election.

The case argues that Belarus breached international obligations by failing to secure its shared border with Lithuania, allowing thousands of migrants, primarily from the MENA region, to cross into EU territory. Lithuania’s Ministry of Justice stated the country is requesting reparations for damages incurred between 2021 and 2023, with a preliminary estimate exceeding €200 million. That figure, the ministry noted, could be revised as the case progresses.

The migrant flow through Belarus began in 2021 and rapidly expanded into a major regional crisis, with Poland, Latvia, and Lithuania all declaring states of emergency. While Vilnius blames Minsk for facilitating the crossings, Belarus has denied any wrongdoing and accused the EU of violating the rights of asylum seekers.

Belarusian authorities say the EU is waging what they describe as a “hybrid war,” supporting exiled opposition figures and promoting banned media outlets. Minsk has further accused the bloc of using double standards, pointing to reports of mistreatment of migrants at the EU’s eastern borders. In 2022, Amnesty International condemned Lithuania for employing racially discriminatory tactics against migrants, particularly those from Africa and the Middle East. The report alleged that Brussels ignored these abuses.

Related News

France-UK migration pact faces EU review and public backlash

Venezuelan Parliament demands return of 18 children detained in US

Border expenses, emergencies drive €200 million figure

Lithuania’s compensation claim is rooted in extensive expenditures related to border security during the peak of the migrant crisis. According to the Ministry of Justice, the estimated damages account for the construction of physical barriers, upgrades to surveillance infrastructure, and the deployment of a significantly expanded security force.

The government declared a state of emergency in 2021 alongside Latvia and Poland. During that period, Lithuania blocked some 23,600 illegal entry attempts, according to BNS. The ministry emphasized that the measures undertaken represented an “unprecedented” mobilization of domestic resources to counter the Belarus border dispute.

The case against Belarus may widen, as Warsaw is reportedly considering joining Lithuania’s ICJ complaint. Poland experienced an even more intense phase of the crisis in 2021, with larger numbers of migrants massing along its eastern frontier. Both countries have since accelerated efforts to fortify their borders, citing national security concerns.

The current legal action adds another layer of pressure on Belarus, already isolated under wide-ranging EU sanctions.

Human rights organizations continue to criticize EU member states for their treatment of migrants arriving through Belarus. Amnesty International and other advocacy groups have pointed to violations of international asylum law and have accused Lithuania of rejecting asylum seekers on discriminatory grounds.

While Lithuania insists its actions were necessary to safeguard its sovereignty and EU external borders, critics argue that the crisis has exposed the bloc's failure to uphold human rights at its borders. 

  • Migrant Crisis
  • Minsk
  • Belarus
  • ICJ
  • Lithuania
  • European Union

Most Read

Hezbollah SG reveals war details on Al Mayadeen for the first time

Hezbollah SG reveals war details on Al Mayadeen for the first time

  • Politics
  • 8 Jul 2025
Major ambush in Gaza kills 6 Israeli troops, injures dozens

Major ambush in Gaza kills 5 Israeli troops, injures 14

  • Politics
  • 8 Jul 2025
Israeli soldiers are seen in Beit Hanoun ahead of an operation by the al-Qassam Brigades, undated (Al-Qassam Brigades Military Media)

'Israel' on blast as media exposes report discrepancies in Gaza ambush

  • Palestine
  • 8 Jul 2025
Yemen Navy sinks ETERNITY C ship, shares footage of operation

Yemen Navy sinks ETERNITY C ship, shares footage of operation

  • Politics
  • 9 Jul 2025

Coverage

All
The Ummah's Martyrs

Read Next

All
The Freedom Flotilla ship Handala as it departs for Gaza, where it aims to break the maritime blockade at a port in Syracuse, Sicily in southern Italy on July 13, 2025. (AFP)
Palestine

Freedom Flotilla's Handala departs Sicily in bid to break Gaza siege

The container ship CMA CGM Laperouse, left, docks at the Georgia Ports Authority's Port of Savannah, Sept. 29, 2021, in Savannah, Ga (AP)
Politics

US shipbuilding woes deepen as tariffs, outdated policies backfire

Gaza war raises ethical questions for ex-Obama, Biden officials
Politics

Mercenary firm tied to Gaza war crimes hires Obama-Biden PR operatives

'Israel' targets children in Gaza collecting water
Palestine

'Israel' strikes Gaza kids fetching water, blames it on 'malfunction'

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS