Lithuania legalises migrant pushbacks!

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The bill should be passed by Lithuanian MPs on Tuesday, April 25. According to the Interior Ministry in Vilnius, it is intended to guarantee national security against possible destabilization attempts by nearby Belarus. NGOs see it above all as a way of perpetuating the illegal "pushback" of migrants without giving them the opportunity to apply for asylum that Lithuania has been practicing since the summer of 2021.

Passed on second reading by a large majority of parliamentarians on Thursday, April 20, the amendment to the state border law provides that in "emergency situations," such as a massive influx of foreign nationals at the country's borders, the government will be able to limit access to the territory. Border guards will then be authorized to expel migrants who have entered illegally and are within a 5-kilometer zone from the border. An exception was added for people fleeing armed conflict or persecution, or needing humanitarian aid.

"At first glance, the proposal seems quite balanced and even includes guarantees," said Viktor Ostrovnoj, head of advocacy at the Lithuanian Red Cross Asylum and Migration Program. However, he pointed out that the state of emergency – implemented for the first time on August 3, 2021, due to an emergency on the border with Belarus – is still in place. With the vote of the MPs, "what was supposed to be a temporary measure to deal with short-term crises, risks becoming a new status quo," he added.

Over 20,000 pushbacks
Erika Leonaite, head of the ombudspersons' office at the Parliament, also criticized the text. She thinks it creates "the illusion" that Lithuania will be able to continue to guarantee the right to asylum. She argued, "it is an immigration service and not the border guards in the forest who have the skills to determine whether a person is fleeing persecution, as defined by the [UN] Convention relating to the Status of Refugees."

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[josephmartin]

Spokesperson: The Immigration issue must be put to a EU - wide Vote, here is why : You mention " Fundamental Rights ", but only related to non - VISA, non - ID migrants that want to use EU Taxpayers Funds to establish sharia caliphate, the same nightmare that destroyed their original countries and force them to travel to Europe, and that is selfish and absurd. What about the " Fundamental Rights " of EU Taxpayers that have paid Taxes for Generations and can't make it to the end of the month ? What about their Fundamental Rights ? In this case Lithuania is right, its their Country and their Taxes, not yours. EU Vote now !

[takasmaka]

Thats very good, pushback should be legal