Two Asylum Seekers Detained at Airport Gate, Third Escorted Off Bus to Berlin

Lithuanian border guards intercepted three individuals attempting to reach Germany illegally within a single day, highlighting ongoing challenges with irregular migration. Two Algerian citizens were detained at Vilnius Airport's Schengen departure terminal, while a Pakistani national was apprehended on a bus traveling from Tallinn to Berlin in the Pasvalys district.

The two Algerians, aged 20 and 21, presented digital boarding passes for a flight to Berlin but lacked any personal identification documents. During questioning, one claimed to have entered Latvia illegally from Belarus and subsequently escaped from the Muceniekai asylum seeker accommodation center near Riga. He was found to possess a Latvian registration certificate for an Algerian citizen. His companion's story was similar, involving illegal border crossing from Belarus, seeking asylum in Latvia, escaping the same center, and traveling to Vilnius by train with the ultimate goal of reaching France via Berlin.

In a separate incident, border guards stopped a scheduled bus traveling from Tallinn to Berlin near Talačkoniai village in the Pasvalys district. A young man without any documents permitting entry or stay in Lithuania drew their attention. He presented a Latvian identity card for an asylum seeker, issued to a 20-year-old Pakistani citizen. He admitted to illegally entering Latvia from Belarus on April 28 and subsequently being detained and handed over to Latvian border guards on May 28. Undeterred, he attempted to travel to Germany again.

The Pakistani national stated he was traveling from Riga to Berlin. The driver of the Estonia-registered bus reported that the passenger boarded in Riga but was not noticed during boarding. The Pakistani man was also taken to the VSAT Foreigners Registration Center in Pabradė. Lithuanian border guards typically return illegal migrants apprehended under the so-called "Latvian route" to their Latvian counterparts after completing necessary procedures. Latvia is currently experiencing significant pressure from illegal migration originating from Belarus.