Minister M. Skuodis: civil aviation cannot be used to organize illegal migration
On Wednesday, during a phone call with President of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Council Salvatore Sciacchitano, Minister of Transport and Communications Marius Skuodis stressed the urgency of international measures to stop illegal migration, which is coordinated by the Belarusian regime, and ensure the safety and reputation of the aviation sector.
“The current flow of illegal migration through the Lithuania–Belarus border is a hybrid attack supported by the Belarusian authorities, which possibly use international civil aviation as a means to organise illegal migration. The safety and reputation of the aviation sector is a shared responsibility of all Member States. Therefore, international measures are urgent to prevent such human trafficking,” said Minister Skuodis during the call.
According to the Minister, the Belarusian airspace remains the main tool of aggression by Belarus, which involves directing illegal migrants to Lithuania. The main flow of migrants comes to Lithuania through flights from Iraq to Belarus. Although such flights are temporarily suspended, there is no guarantee that they will not be renewed. In addition, flows of migration could be organised via the routes operated by the Belarusian company Belavia and the airlines of other countries.
The Minister believes that all direct flights to Minsk require closer attention of the international community – not only from Iraq, but also from Turkey and other countries.
So far, 4 112 migrants have crossed the Lithuania–Belarus border this year. 2 797 of them are Iraqi citizens. This number is over 50 times higher than in 2020. The neighbouring countries – Poland and Latvia – are also observing an increase in illegal border crossings.
During the call, the Minister also noted that during the investigation of the forced landing of a Ryanair passenger plane en route from Athens to Vilnius in Minsk in May, it is important to determine all the facts and find out how the actions of different parties complied with international aviation law, including the Convention on International Civil Aviation (Chicago Convention).
“The unprecedented forced landing of the plane in Belarus must be investigated as soon as possible to prevent similar violations of international air transport regulations,” stressed the Minister.
The term for the ICAO investigation into the forced landing of a Ryanair plane in Minsk has been extended until autumn to gather additional information from countries and organisations related to the incident. A final investigation report is expected in November.
Last updated: 19-08-2021
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