Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
Lithuanian parliament votes to allow mass detention of asylum seekers
Source: Reuters
Lithuanian parliament votes to allow mass detention of asylum seekers
Andrius Sytas
Tue, July 13, 2021, 10:41 AM
VILNIUS (Reuters) -Lithuania's parliament on Tuesday approved the mass detention of migrants and curbed their right of appeal, a move meant to deter high numbers crossing the border with Belarus but which stirred an outcry among humanitarian groups.
Eighty-four lawmakers supported the bill, with one objection and 5 abstentions, brushing aside protests from Red Cross and other non-governmental organizations saying it violates Lithuania's international obligations and migrant rights.
Lithuanian and EU officials have accused Belarus of using illegal migrants as a political weapon to exert pressure on the European Union because of the bloc's sanctions on Minsk. More than 1,700 people have entered Lithuania from its non-EU neighbour this year, including 1,100 in July alone.
Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte said the detention policy would prevent migrants from illegally travelling onwards to the more affluent west of the EU - the favoured destination of the vast majority of migrants reaching EU territory in recent years.
-snip-
Andrius Sytas
Tue, July 13, 2021, 10:41 AM
VILNIUS (Reuters) -Lithuania's parliament on Tuesday approved the mass detention of migrants and curbed their right of appeal, a move meant to deter high numbers crossing the border with Belarus but which stirred an outcry among humanitarian groups.
Eighty-four lawmakers supported the bill, with one objection and 5 abstentions, brushing aside protests from Red Cross and other non-governmental organizations saying it violates Lithuania's international obligations and migrant rights.
Lithuanian and EU officials have accused Belarus of using illegal migrants as a political weapon to exert pressure on the European Union because of the bloc's sanctions on Minsk. More than 1,700 people have entered Lithuania from its non-EU neighbour this year, including 1,100 in July alone.
Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte said the detention policy would prevent migrants from illegally travelling onwards to the more affluent west of the EU - the favoured destination of the vast majority of migrants reaching EU territory in recent years.
-snip-
Read more: https://news.yahoo.com/lithuanian-parliament-votes-allow-mass-144129731.html
