The heads of the foreign affairs committees of the national parliaments of 12 countries in a special statement condemned the use "by the illegal regime" of Alyaksandr Lukashenka of migrants smuggled across the borders to harm neighboring countriesm.

We, the chairmen of our parliaments' foreign affairs committees, unequivocally condemn the use by the illegal Lukashenko regime of migrants smuggled across the border to harm neighbouring countries. The use of the weakest as a method of leverage in a political dispute is shameful and comparable to the act of air piracy we witnessed in May. 

The attempt to throw migrants across the border of Lithuania is a criminal and inhumane act aimed at undermining the solidarity and support of the Lithuanian people towards those in Belarus who want freedom and reject last year's stolen elections. This is a new and dangerous attack on a member state of the European Union and NATO. It should be met with national, European and transatlantic solidarity and response.

We call for a ban on flights to Belarus that may be suspected of being used for state-organized human smuggling.

We call for sanctions against those involved in this state-organized human smuggling across international borders and the Lukashenko regime that controls it. 

We call for a collective commitment to end human smuggling across EU borders, including support for the EU's Frontex agency, the Border and Visa Management Facility, the European Asylum Support Office, and other national and international agencies that can support Lithuania and other countries targeted by this unconventional attack by the Lukashenko regime.

We call for joint EU and NATO representations to the governments of Iraq, Turkey and any other country used by the Lukashenko regime to exploit and instrumentalize migrants to end this practice and defend the dignity of those whose rights are being violated.