Lithuania returns 29 migrants detained near Belarus border

Lithuanian border officials have said that 29 people from a group of 35 stopped near the Belarus border have been sent back to that country. The status of five others is still being reviewed, and one person was taken to a medical facility because of health problems.

According to officials, the group was made up of young men aged 20 to 30 and was identified in the Varna area near the Belarus border. Only 11 of them had valid identity documents, while the others did not carry any proof of legal entry into Lithuania.

The Lithuanian government says it has prevented 1,661 migrants from entering via Belarus since the start of this year. In recent months, this route has become one of the main crossing points for Asian migrants, increasing security and humanitarian pressure on eastern European countries.