OREANDA-NEWS. Despite the threat of the spread of coronavirus infection, Lithuania opened its borders for Belarusians arriving for humanitarian reasons after the presidential election in the neighbouring republic, and eleven citizens asked Vilnius for political asylum.

According to the head of the Lithuanian Migration Department, Evelina Gudzinskaite, ten of them applied for asylum being at the border, and one being in the territory of Lithuania. The official said that, taking into account the events taking place in Belarus now, the number of applications is small. She noted that all Belarusian applicants indicate the same reason for leaving the country – the fear of reprisals. “If repressions do not stop, then there may be more asylum applications,” the head of the Migration Department said. Gudzinskaite added that another 20 people arrived in Lithuania, using mechanism of humanitarian exception.

It is known that asylum applications will be processed within a period of several weeks to six months.