Lithuania Brings Landmark Migrant Smuggling Case Against Belarus Before the ICJ

On May 19, 2025, Lithuania officially introduced proceedings against Belarus before the International Court of Justice (ICJ).  In its application, the country accuses Belarus of directing irregular migrant flows to Lithuania, which violates the United Nations (UN) Protocol Against the Smuggling of Migrants by Land, Sea, and Air, a protocol supplementing the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC), also known as the Palermo Convention.