Poland, Lithuania fear new migrant crisis due to Belarus’ offer of visa-free travel

TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — Belarus is introducing a visa-free travel arrangement with dozens of countries for a month, raising fears that neighboring Poland and Lithuania might see a sudden increase in unauthorized migration. The authoritarian president of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, signed a decree allowing citizens of 73 countries to travel to Belarus without a visa from July 4 to July 23 to attend an annual music festival. The governments of Lithuania and Poland see the move as a threat that will bring another influx of migrants. Thousands of migrants massed at borders with the European Union in 2021 after transiting through Belarus. The governments of Lithuania and Poland accused the Belarusian authorities of orchestrating the earlier situation.