Lithuania from Belarus wants to recover at least 200 million euros for a migrant crisis loss / day
As reported by the ministry, the case may also influence other litigation that migrants have filed against Lithuania at the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR), where, according to the Ministry of Justice, seven migrants against Lithuania are currently being dealt with.
The ministry noted that the Lithuanian claim in the UN International Court was initially estimated to exceed EUR 200 million, but the amount could be revised. Initial estimates only include the costs generated by the home affairs system.
In the claim in the Hague-based court, Lithuania stated that the losses in the 2021-2023 were caused by Belarusian action, which required Lithuania to invest in a physical fence on the border in construction, in modernization of observation systems and to provide « the largest » border guard staff.
As of August 3, 2021, when, according to the order of the then Minister of the Interior Agnes Bilotaite, border guards began to force illegal immigrants to go back, crossing the border more than 23,700 times in unauthorized places.
The Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has stated that the evidence collected by the responsible authorities confirms the direct involvement of the Belarusian regime in organizing the migrant flow, for example by increasing the number of aircraft of Belarusian state -owned companies from the Middle East and other regions, as well as organizing visas and accommodating migrants.
Latvia and Poland feel similar to migration pressure.
Independent Belarusian news radio Euroradio, referring to the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, reported that Warsaw was considering joining the Lithuanian claim.
« The Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs is carefully evaluating Lithuania’s proposal for the possible participation of our country in the proceedings, » Euroradio quoted the ministry, stating that it has been aware of Lithuanian plans to go to court and « agrees to Lithuania’s assessment of gross violations of Belarus. »
Latvian ministries have also stated that they will assess whether to join the Lithuanian claim in the UN International Court in The Hague for the migration crisis caused by Belarus.
Leaders of nine European Union (EU) countries, including Lithuania, have published an open letter calling for « a new and open negotiation of the interpretation of the European Convention on Human Rights », in particular with regard to migration.
The provisions of the Convention are binding on all 46 signatories of the Convention, including all 27 EU Member States. The ECHR justifies its legally binding decisions on this Agreement.
Leaders claim that countries must be able to take effective measures against hostile regimes that armed migrants at their borders.
« We believe that the development of the court’s interpretation in some cases has limited our ability to make political decisions in our democracy, » they said.
Human rights organizations have criticized Lithuania’s 2023 decision to legalize the coercion of migrants to go back and restrict the possibility of demanding shelter there, stating that this practice violates international law.
