Since the beginning of 2021, thousands of migrants have tried to cross the border from Belarus into Lithuania, which is part of the European Union. European authorities say this isn’t an accident. They believe that Belarus is retaliating against E.U. sanctions by weaponizing migration.
Normally, roughly 70 people are apprehended annually aiming to enter Lithuania. This year, Lithuania detained more than 4,000. The E.U. has described this as “an aggressive act from the Lukashenko regime [in Belarus] designed to provoke.” Lithuanian officials are setting up razor wire along the border after declaring a state of emergency and accusing Belarus of “weaponizing” irregular migration.