Lithuanian Interior Minister candidate Martīns Katelīns stated the potential temporary reintroduction of border controls between Lithuania and Latvia due to increased secondary illegal migration flows. Lithuanian Interior Ministry data shows that secondary migration flow from Latvia to Lithuania quadrupled in the first half of 2026 compared to the previous year, rising from just over 300 to more than 1200 migrants. Katelīns referenced similar border restrictions Poland applied on its borders with Lithuania and Germany last summer due to growing migrant numbers. He called border control restoration a 'nuclear option' but possibly necessary if other migrant flow management and detention measures outside Lithuanian territory fail. Katelīns warned Lithuania could quickly face overwhelming border guard workloads despite readmission agreements with Latvia, as processing, verifying documents, and housing migrants demands significant time and resources. He criticized Latvia's handling of illegal migration, urging Latvia to show greater initiative, while Lithuania will continue supporting Latvian border guards. Katelīns noted Lithuania's physical border fence and pushback tactics on the Belarus border helped solve its issues, contrasted with Latvia, where migrants enter, disappear, then reappear with forged documents on buses heading toward Warsaw. In 2026, around 7,855 migrants were intercepted or returned at the Latvian border, almost nine times the number attempting entry into Lithuania from Belarus. Lithuania forced back 901 illegal migrants in 2026. Since the start of the Belarus-organized migration crisis, Lithuanian border guards prevented about 25,500 illegal entries.

Lithuanian Interior Minister candidate Martīns Katelīns stated the potential temporary reintroduction of border controls between Lithuania and Latvia due to increased secondary illegal migration flows. Lithuanian Interior Ministry data shows that secondary migration flow from Latvia to Lithuania quadrupled in the first half of 2026 compared to the previous year, rising from just over 300 to more than 1200 migrants. Katelīns referenced similar border restrictions Poland applied on its borders with Lithuania and Germany last summer due to growing migrant numbers. He called border control restoration a 'nuclear option' but possibly necessary if other migrant flow management and detention measures outside Lithuanian territory fail. Katelīns warned Lithuania could quickly face overwhelming border guard workloads despite readmission agreements with Latvia, as processing, verifying documents, and housing migrants demands significant time and resources. He criticized Latvia's handling of illegal migration, urging Latvia to show greater initiative, while Lithuania will continue supporting Latvian border guards. Katelīns noted Lithuania's physical border fence and pushback tactics on the Belarus border helped solve its issues, contrasted with Latvia, where migrants enter, disappear, then reappear with forged documents on buses heading toward Warsaw. In 2026, around 7,855 migrants were intercepted or returned at the Latvian border, almost nine times the number attempting entry into Lithuania from Belarus. Lithuania forced back 901 illegal migrants in 2026. Since the start of the Belarus-organized migration crisis, Lithuanian border guards prevented about 25,500 illegal entries.