Following the entry into force of the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum on 12 June 2026, NGOs from Latvia, Lithuania and Poland issued a joint statement calling for a review of pushback practices at the Belarusian border to ensure compliance with EU and international laws. The organisations stressed that access to asylum procedures and respect for fundamental rights must be guaranteed, including during crisis situations.
They also called for:
- detention to be used only as a measure of last resort following an individual assessment;
- enhanced safeguards for unaccompanied minors;
- effective access to legal assistance; and
- independent monitoring of border procedures.
In addition, they highlighted the importance of access to employment for individuals who cannot be returned to their countries of origin. The organisations announced a 1-year cooperation project aimed at contributing to policy discussions and producing a report on pushback and return practices at the EU's eastern border.
- I want to help refugees | Gribu palīdzēt bēgļiem (16 June, 2026), Stājoties spēkā ES Migrācijas un patvēruma paktam, Lietuvas, Polijas un Latvijas NVO aicina pārskatīt atgrūšanas praksi pie Baltkrievijas robežas [With the entry into force of the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum, Lithuanian, Polish and Latvian NGOs are calling for a review of pushback practices at the Belarusian border],