Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I have to be honest, my visit to the border was an unsettling experience. I could say the same for my Lithuanian colleagues as well. They are dealing with a new situation. They certainly are not used to this. I am very pleased that they are engaging with civil society, in particular the Red Cross. Ireland responded to the migrant crisis by providing €100,000 to the International Committee of the Red Cross, which launched an operation through the Disaster Relief Emergency Fund, DREF, to help refugees in Lithuania. Ireland is a regular contributor to the DREF, to which it contributed €1 million in 2021.

As regards my Lithuanian colleagues' attitude to Belarus, they want to see the border open. They want to see Belarus as a democratic country. They would also like to see it as member of the European Union. They are sad to see a fence erected along large parts of the border.

What is happening in Belarus, in terms of the Government bringing in people and leaving them on the streets of Minsk, is tragic. That is disgraceful treatment of human beings. We are hearing that the people of Minsk are fed up with what the Government is doing. That is understandable too.

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