VILNIUS, Lithuania (AP) — Lithuania is looking for as much as 120 million euros in compensation from Belarus, accusing its japanese neighbor of orchestrating the immigration of 1000's of individuals, primarily from Africa and the Middle East.

Since 2021, when the European Union imposed sanctions on Belarus and its longtime authoritarian president, Alexander Lukashenko, the variety of individuals looking for to cross into Lithuania and enter the EU has dramatically elevated.

The international ministry mentioned Thursday it has handed over a diplomatic observe to Belarus, demanding compensation. Justice Minister Ewelina Dobrowolska mentioned Wednesday that “what the Belarusian regime is doing is not a natural migration route.”

Lithuania erected a barbed wire fence alongside its 679-kilometer (422-mile) border with Belarus after 1000's of migrants crossed into its territory in 2021.

Since mid-2021, Lithuania has refused entry to a complete of 20,000 migrants from Belarus. In August 2021, Lithuanian border guards got the proper by the federal government in Vilnius to show away migrants.

The 120 million euros is to cowl bills that Lithuania “suffered not only by keeping migrants, but also by strengthening our border control, infrastructure that we did not have,” Dobrowolska instructed reporters.

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