Construction of the Druskininkai border barrier in Lithuania begins.
The physical barrier should be in place by the end of the month.
“Lithuania received part of the material as support from Estonia, part of it was purchased, and other purchases are made in parallel in order to purchase not only the material, but also the installation works. The governments of Ukraine and Estonia are being consulted on the supply of the material. The barrier will be installed on a new, more modern principle, the aim is to make it stronger and more reliable, ”says the Minister of the Interior Agnė Bilotaitė.
The Department of Property Management and Economy under the Ministry of the Interior will soon announce a public procurement aimed at purchasing more materials. Both Lithuanian and foreign companies will be able to submit their bids.
A physical barrier as a preventive measure against illegal migration will be introduced in those sections that are most often chosen by migrants.
Since the beginning of the illegal migration crisis, the State Border Guard Service (SBGS) has strengthened border protection with Belarus. In addition to various organizational measures, officials from other SBGS units were seconded to this section and additional technical resources were allocated. Border guards are also assisted by forces from other Lithuanian institutions, including the army, as well as officials from the European Border and Coast Guard Agency FRONTEX, Estonia and Austria. More than 100 officials from different European Union member states help to protect the Lithuanian border, as well as Frontex cars, helicopters and thermal imaging equipment.