Lithuania says Belarus is flying in migrants, plans border barrier

Migrants detained by Lithuanian border guards gesture at a migrant processing centre in Pabrade, Lithuania, July 6, 2021. Picture taken July 6, 2021. REUTERS/Janis Laizans

KALVIAI, Lithuania (Reuters) - Lithuania on Wednesday accused Belarus of flying in migrants from abroad to send to the European Union and said it would build a barrier on the border and deploy troops to prevent them crossing illegally into its territory.

Belarus decided to allow migrants to cross into EU member Lithuania in response to sanctions imposed by the bloc after Minsk forced a Ryanair flight to land on its soil and arrested a dissident blogger who was on board.