Asylum seekers from Latvia, Egyptian and Russian citizens, caught in Lithuania

Lithuanian border guards have detained two individuals traveling from Latvia who were attempting to enter the country without valid travel documents. Both individuals are citizens of countries outside the EU and were seeking to travel further west.

During a routine check of a passenger bus traveling from Riga, Latvia, to Munich, Germany, near the Lithuanian-Latvian border, guards stopped a 25-year-old Egyptian national. He presented an asylum seeker certificate issued in Latvia on May 12 but lacked a valid passport or residence permit for the EU. The bus driver stated the man had boarded unnoticed in Riga due to technical issues with the bus. The Egyptian national was detained and transferred to the Aliens Registration Center.

On the same day, Pagėgiai border guards in Šiauliai apprehended a 38-year-old Russian citizen who had also arrived from Latvia. This individual presented a Latvian asylum seeker certificate dated May 7 but possessed no other documents authorizing entry or stay in Lithuania. Lithuanian authorities noted that a return decision had been issued against this individual in Finland on March 17, requiring voluntary departure from the Schengen area by May 9, a decision he had not fulfilled.

Both individuals are expected to be handed over to Latvian border guards under the readmission agreement between Lithuania and Latvia, which governs the return of individuals who have entered illegally.