US EditionLithuania takes Belarus to top UN court over alleged smuggling of migrants
- On May 19, 2025, Lithuania initiated legal action against Belarus by submitting a complaint to the Hague-based International Court alleging that Belarus deliberately facilitated migrant smuggling across their shared border.
- Lithuania took legal action after unsuccessful bilateral negotiations, accusing Belarus of violating international agreements by facilitating illegal migrant movements since 2021.
- Lithuania asserts that Belarusian government-owned airlines expanded travel routes from the Middle East, with migrants being guided by Belarusian security forces to the border and compelled to cross illegally, while Belarus declined to collaborate in preventing these crossings.
- Lithuanian Justice Minister Rimantas Mockus emphasized that the Belarusian authorities should face legal consequences for their role in causing the surge in unauthorized migration and the associated violations of human rights.
- Lithuania seeks full compensation for damages including border reinforcement costs and demands Belarus' accountability under international law to prevent future violations.
42 Articles
42 Articles
Lithuania Accuses Belarus of "Instrumentalizing Migrants" and Refers It to the International Court of Justice
The International Court of Justice of the Hague has before it a request from Lithuania, which accuses the Belarusian regime of violating one of the protocols of the Convention against Organized Crime concerning the illegal trafficking of migrants.
Lithuania takes Belarus to The Hague for weaponizing migration
Lithuania filed a case against Belarus at the International Court of Justice accusing it of orchestrating a migrant crisis that endangered lives and violated international law. The case centers on alleged violations by Belarus of the United Nations Protocol against the Smuggling of Migrants by Land, Sea, and Air, the ICJ said in a statement Monday. Vilnius is accusing Belarus of having breached its international obligations by enabling migrant s…
Two European countries locked in UN court battle over migrant smuggling crisis
Two neighbouring European countries have become locked in a bitter legal battle over illegal migration. Lithuania has filed a case against Belarus, which lies on its southeastern border, at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) which accuses the country of violating international law.
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