(AP) Lithuania is seeking up to 120 million euros in compensation from Belarus, accusing its eastern neighbor of orchestrating the immigration of thousands of people, mainly from Africa and the Middle East.
Since 2021, when the European Union imposed sanctions on Belarus and its longtime authoritarian president, Alexander Lukashenko, the number of people seeking to cross into Lithuania and enter the EU has dramatically increased.
The foreign ministry said Thursday it has handed over a diplomatic note to Belarus, demanding compensation. Justice Minister Ewelina Dobrowolska said Wednesday that “what the Belarusian regime is doing is not a natural migration route.”
