News

Statement by Lithuania on behalf of the Lublin Triangle States delivered by H.E. Ambassador Darius Staniulis, Permanent Representative of Lithuania to the United Nations Office and other International Organizations in Geneva

Thank you, Mr. President,

I have the honour to speak on behalf of Poland, Ukraine, and Lithuania.

We thank the Special Rapporteur for presenting the report. As rightly noted, one of the ways migrants go missing is as a result of smuggling or trafficking, often perpetrated by criminal groups - in some cases, with the authorization, support and direct involvement of the State.

This is precisely the case along our countries’ borders. The surge in illegal migration at the EU-Belarus border is the result of an organised effort by Belarus to instrumentalise individuals for political purposes.

The organised smuggling of migrants through Belarus into the EU states is a transnational offense. Instead of strengthening its border controls to prevent the smuggling of migrants, Belarus has directed its officials to actively encourage the smuggling and Belarusian State-owned entities have facilitated illegal migration. These actions placed vulnerable individuals, including women and children, at an increased risk of serious harm by orchestrating the sudden and large-scale movement of migrants to the border.

We underscore our commitment to using international legal instruments to uphold justice, clearly stating the responsibility of a Belarusian regime for the migration crisis it has created.

Mr. Special Rapporteur,
What further measures should be taken to combat migrant trafficking schemes in which state actors are involved or complicit?

I thank you.