In Lithuania, the emergency camps set up by authorities to hundreds of people, who have illegally crossed into the country from Belarus, have scarce and inhumane living conditions a volunteer has warned. The Interior Minister has spoken of current focus to improve living conditions vulnerable groups, while others have toContinue Reading
Dunja Mijatovic, the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, has called on Lithuania to respect its international human rights commitments in the current migration crisis, and Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte has said in response that irregular migrants attempting to crossing into the country can hardly be considered refugees. “ItContinue Reading
The Ministry of the Interior will propose an increase of Finland’s refugee quota to 2,000 in the government’s budget negotiations, Interior Minister Maria Ohisalo (Green) has told Yle. Finland’s current refugee quota is 1,050 people. The quota system shares out refugees among EU member states according to a calculation basedContinue Reading
Under the proposed amendments to the Law on the Legal Status of Aliens, in case of the declaration of war, an emergency or extreme situation due to mass influx of foreigners, asylum requests can be submitted to the State Border Guard Service at border checkpoints or transit zones upon legalContinue Reading
Last July, nearly 50 unaccompanied children were relocated from Greece to Finland as part of a programme coordinated by the European Commission. Fifteen of them were placed in the Kotka Hybrid Unit for Minors on Finland’s southeast coast. The hybrid unit, established in Kotka a couple of years ago, isContinue Reading
Estonian President Kersti Kaljulaid discussed the hybrid crisis launched by Belarus on the Lithuanian border with Minister of the Interior Kristian Jaani and Minister of Defense Kalle Laanet. “The influx of people that has been directed over the Lithuanian border in a coordinated manner over the past weeks is noContinue Reading
The National Coalition Party has expressed “regret” over terminology used in a nine-point immigration policy proposal. Outgoing Finns Party leader Jussi Halla-aho has criticised the National Coalition Party’s (NCP’s) proposal for changes to Finland’s immigration policy as a “populist ploy”. The NCP had expressed “regret” over terminology used in theContinue Reading
On Tuesday, he visited the General Silvestras Zukauskas Training Area in Pabrade where the German 10th Armored Division and Lithuania’s mechanized infantry brigade Iron Wolf are taking part in Exercise Schneller Degen, the first time Germany is holding a command-post exercise of such kind on a territory of an ally.Continue Reading
The Lithuanian Interior Ministry proposes that the government consider declaring a state of emergency in border municipalities, Interior Minister Agne Bilotaite said on Tuesday. “The Interior Ministry is submitting a proposal to assess the situation and possibly declare a state of emergency,” she said at a news conference. The governmentContinue Reading
Police used force late on Monday to clear protesters blocking access to the Rudninkai military training ground in southeastern Lithuania where the authorities are planning to set up a tent camp for migrants. Several dozen people tried to block the road leading to the training ground to prevent trucks carryingContinue Reading