Vilnius: Lithuania began building a barrier along its border with Belarus on Friday after accusing Belarusian authorities flying in migrants from abroad to send illegally to the European Union.
The length of the first expanse will run 500 meters (1,640 feet), measuring a height of 1.8 meters (six feet) and consist of concerts and razor wire, spokesman for Montvile Military Defense Chief of Montvile told Reuters.
Belarus in May decided to allow migrants to enter the Lithuanian EU member in retaliation for sanctions imposed by blocks after Minsk forced Ryanair flights to land on his land and arrest the dissident blogger on the ship.
“If someone thinks we will close our borders with Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Ukraine and will be a place of detention for those who run from Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Libya, Syria, Tunis and further in Africa – if someone thinks so, he One direction, for the least “, Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko said on Tuesday.
Belarus keeps the border now only as much “profitable” for that, and as much as it can be financially, the President said.
“If someone wants more, we are ready to go to the table and agree to what conditions we will do”, he added.
Lithuania announced on Wednesday, he will install the border barrier and mobilize troops to prevent migrants from crossing illegally to his territory.
The Lithuanian-Belarus border 679 km (420 miles) limits areas that are rarely inhabited, with large stretches through the forest and march.
More than 1,500 people crossed the border this year, with 900 of them came for the first nine days in July.
Prime Minister Lithuania Ingrida Simonyte told National Broadcasters on Friday, he did not expect migrant flow from Belarus to subside himself.
“Because the Belarus regime makes money from these people for visa fees and, I think, getting other income from them too – will be difficult to expect a positive trend without additional impact means”, he said.
About 78 km (48 miles) from the border fenced for years, and around 258 km (160 miles) were monitored electronically, according to the Interior Ministry.
Simonyte said on Wednesday Belarus had offered migrant flights to Minsk, citing documents found on at least one migrant that had reached Lithuania.
He said the main airport from where people flew to Belarus was Baghdad, and his foreign minister said people also came from Turkey.