Lithuania extends state of emergency at Belarus border

Razor wire is seen in front of a Belarusian border marking pole in Druskininkai, Lithuania, November 4, 2021. REUTERS/Janis Laizans/Files

VILNIUS (Reuters) - Lithuania's parliament on Tuesday extended a state of emergency at the country's border with Belarus and at camps hosting migrants who arrived from there until Jan. 15.

EU member states accuse Belarus of encouraging illegal migrants from the Middle East, Afghanistan and Africa to cross the border into the EU in retaliation for sanctions imposed on Minsk over human rights abuses.