Emergency in Lithuania: Minsk lets migrants through
In the wake of the plane hijacking and the resulting EU sanctions on Minsk, the number of migrants crossing the border from Belarus into Lithuania has risen to well over 100 per day - many of them people who have travelled from Iraq, Syria and Russia. Lukashenka has confirmed that he is deliberately not stopping drug smugglers or mass migrations at the border. Lithuania has declared a state of emergency and is now erecting a border fence.
Marginalisation will backfire
The growing xenophobia could be more harmful for Lithuania than the refugees themselves, warns migration researcher Indrė Balčaitė in LRT:
“In this chaos, can one easily decide which of the arrivals are economic migrants without listening to their stories in detail? Is it so hard to understand that in these times of globalisation people are more aware of how different their lives are from the lives of those in the global North and therefore want to move there? If we also make these people, with whom we definitely do not want to trade places, second-class citizens, then our talk about human rights violations in Russia and Belarus is worthless. We should not be afraid of migrants, but of hate and how it changes our society.”
Support Vilnius
Dagens Nyheter calls on the EU to not look the other way:
“Against the background of Lukashenka's dictatorial methods, his new modus operandi in the hybrid war is not very surprising. It is in the interest of the entire EU to stand behind Lithuania in the fight against the cynical and ruthless regime in Belarus.”
A lesson in tolerance for one of the black sheep
Lithuania's migrant problem suits the EU, Ria Novosti suspects:
“In the EU, strict rules protect the rights of illegal migrants. The country where the refugees first arrive must not only comply with complex procedures but also offer acceptable living conditions. This is what Brussels meant when it made its promise of 10 million euros more specific: the money was to be earmarked for ensuring that 'the basic needs of migrants' were met. In this way the EU has a chance to help Lithuania rid itself of racism and xenophobia, which is shameful for a progressive country, and to increase its tolerance - by means of establishing a (for now) small Arab-African community in the country. ”
Let the EU heavyweights take care of things
Political scientist Valentinas Beržiūnas has some some words of advice for Lithuania and Poland in Delfi:
“The solution is actually quite simple: arrange with Poland to accompany the refugees to Berlin, where they really want to go. ... The refugee crisis isn't Lithuania's concern but that of the EU. It wasn't Lithuania but the EU that imposed the sanctions against Belarus. If anyone can solve this crisis, it's the Germans, French, Austrians and Italians. Only they can persuade Putin to stop the refugees, or call on Lukashenka to do so. ... The question now is whether this refugee crisis isn't being used to distract attention from the geo-energy relations between Moscow and Berlin.”
A useless fence
Delfi is extremely sceptical about the new border fence idea:
“For every fence there is a ladder, for every barbed wire there are wire cutters. Won't Lukashenka's oprichniki [henchmen] provide the migrants with these? ... What, are you crazy? Look at how well the Berlin Wall worked, and also the great wall in Israel, which cost a billion, or the example of Hungary! Doesn't that mean anything to you? Yes, it does. The Berlin Wall wouldn't have stopped an old grandmother if there hadn't been shots from Kalashnikovs (and even they still didn't stop people from fleeing). The illegal border crossers in Israel also know that they risk gunfire. ... Lithuanian border guards are not allowed to shoot. What is this expensive fence supposed to achieve?”
Classic boomerang effect
Lithuania has to clean up its own mess, Lietuvos rytas notes:
“When refugees flooded Western Europe a few years ago and the European Commission called for the burden to be shared in solidarity in the EU, how did Lithuanians react? The majority said that since Merkel had invited the refugees, she should also take care of them. ... What is happening now in Lithuania illustrates the validity of the old Lithuanian proverb: 'Don't spit in the well you have to drink from'. We grumbled that Western Europe was sending us the Africans and the Arabs and didn't want to help out, but now we ourselves are in need and hoping for help from the European community.”
Lukashenka has learnt from Erdoğan
This is Minsk's response to the EU sanctions against Belarus, 15min believes:
“To be sure, the emerging migration crisis could be resolved quickly if Lithuania and Belarusian institutions were to work together. But it's more likely that Lukashenka has decided to follow Turkey's example and wants to use the migration waves to put pressure on the EU, and on Lithuania in particular. ... Minsk is probably hoping that the EU will ease its sanctions in exchange for its return to the European Neighbourhood Policy and cooperation on illegal migration, and that this will give rise to a new status quo.”
Stop at nothing in offering resistance
Radio Kommersant FM proposes that Lithuania respond as follows:
“A wall must be built on the border and additional border control units brought it. This will cost money, but the funds will be found, especially if the whole EU gets behind it. In the meantime, Vilnius has granted diplomatic status to Tikhanovskaya's office. This can be read as a response of sorts to Minsk: We are not discontinuing our support for the opposition, on the contrary. This will probably be just the beginning, other countries are ready to follow Lithuania's example.”
Pin our hopes on European solidarity
There are currently no legal means to stop Belarus from taking such deliberate steps, writes law professor Lyra Jakulevičienė on Lrt:
“Belarus would be obliged to take back the illegal migrants who have come from its territory if it had signed a repatriation agreement with Lithuania. But there is no such agreement. ... So we should be prepared for even larger numbers and to take in more migrants from Belarus. If the situation continues to deteriorate, there is still hope that the EU states will show solidarity and lend a helping hand. Like what happened recently with the transfer of refugees from Greece and Italy to other EU countries.”
A breeding ground for panicmongers
We must be wary of disinformation about those seeking protection, warns Diena:
“Tent camps are an ideal base for information attacks. In the refugee camps, tired and desperate faces attract the subjective gaze of the cameras. And they are an inexhaustible source of disinformation. The newsrooms will no doubt receive several anonymous reports of crimes being committed in the camps and attacks on local residents. As in 2015, the artificially exacerbated refugee crisis will also become an information crisis if it is not easy to distinguish the real political refugees from the 'fakes' and thereby prevent the stoking of fears.”