Border guards in Lithuania have uncovered a series of underground tunnels believed to have been dug to help migrants cross illegally from Belarus into the European Union.

Reports say one recently discovered passage near Kabeliai in southern Lithuania stretched for around 50ft beneath the border, with footage said to show 18 migrants crawling through before emerging into woodland.

Lithuanian authorities have been dealing with repeated attempts to bypass the country’s border barriers, including tunnels dug beneath fencing installed along sections of the frontier with Belarus.

Multiple tunnels discovered

The report claims Lithuania has discovered 12 tunnels during 2026, while two others have been found by authorities in neighbouring Latvia.

Lithuania’s State Border Guard Service has separately confirmed finding several tunnels this year which it believes were intended to allow migrants to enter from Belarus. In August, officers discovered an underground passage near Latežeris which ran beneath the physical border barrier and had been reinforced with timber.

Authorities have been filling in or destroying the passages when they are discovered.

Lithuanian Interior Minister Martynas Katelynas has warned that irregular migration remains a significant challenge along the country’s borders. Lithuania and Poland have also been discussing action against people smugglers and so-called secondary migration through the Schengen area.

Claims migrants could travel further west

Some reports suggest migrants entering Lithuania could then try to travel further through Western Europe, potentially including towards the UK.

The source also reports that Lithuania has prevented more than 26,000 attempted crossings from Belarus since the border crisis began in 2021, including almost 1,700 during 2026.