Lithuania sends almost 100 migrants back to Iraq

About a hundred Iraqi nationals were returned to their homeland on a repatriation flight from the Lithuanian capital Vilnius at the weekend. As the Ministry of the Interior announced on Monday, a total of 98 migrants who had entered the country via the border with neighbouring Belarus left the country on board the plane, which, in addition to Baghdad, also headed for the southern Kurdistan autonomous capital of Hewlêr (Erbil).

It was the first charter flight of this kind, and those who were flown out returned home voluntarily, officials said. Lithuania’s Interior Minister Agne Bilotaite described the repatriation operation to the media as a “historic event”. For months, thousands of migrants have been trying to cross the EU’s external borders from Belarus to Poland or the Baltic states. Initially, Lithuania was targeted as a safe haven for refugees – almost 4,200 people crossed the border and applied for asylum.

The government in Vilnius reacted by expanding border protection and erecting a border fence hundreds of kilometres long. Since the beginning of August, the refugees have been turned away by the Lithuanian border guards, and the migrants who have arrived so far have been taken to five reception camps. According to the authorities of the Baltic country, 3,166 people are currently living there. A total of 537 migrants have already been sent back to their home countries, 55 of them against their will.

Lithuania has significantly increased the incentives for those willing to return. To encourage them to return to Iraq, they were promised a one-time payment of 1,000 euros per person. According to the Minister of the Interior, Bilotaite, the distribution of the “bonuses” and the payment of flight costs is significantly less than the sum that would have to be raised to ensure the provision in Lithuania. Around 11,000 euros per head was estimated for this. This offer is to remain valid until 20 January. If necessary, further charter flights could be organised, the deputy head of the border guard told Lithuanian radio.