Lithuania files case against Belarus at ICJ over alleged people smuggling | European Union News

The Baltic nation is seeking damages, including compensation for border reinforcement costs.

Lithuania has filed a case against Belarus at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), accusing it of creating a refugee crisis by facilitating illegal border crossings. Lithuanian officials claim Belarusian authorities orchestrated the smuggling of migrants, violating the UN Protocol against the Smuggling of Migrants, and are seeking damages for border reinforcement costs. The situation escalated in 2021 with an influx of migrants from the Middle East and Africa, which the EU described as Belarus “weaponizing” migration.