The State Border Guard Service at the Ministry of Interior of the Republic of Lithuania is a law-enforcement authority that controls and maintains the security of about 1, 070 km. of the external border on land, in the sea, in the Curonian Lagoon and in frontier inland waters.

The State Border Guard Service at the Ministry of Interior of the Republic of Lithuania (SBGS) is an institution at the Ministry of Interior (MoI). Lithuanian border guards ensure that the security standards at the external borders of the States Parties to the Schengen Treaty meet the most stringent requirements.

The mission of border guards in Lithuania as a member of the Schengen Area is to serve the public and enforce public safety in the fields of state border guard and, within the scope of competence, control over illegal migration processes and protection of facilities.

The main tasks of SBGS's:

• To ensure the inviolability of the State border and implement the policy of State border guarding;
• Within the scope of its competence, to implement international agreements, laws and other legal acts of the Republic of Lithuania establishing the legal regulations of the State border;
• Within the scope of its competence, to prevent, detect and investigate in criminal activities and other violations of law, protect human rights and freedoms and ensure public peace and security.

SBGS's Functions are:

• To guard the State border on land, in the sea, in the Curonian Lagoon and in frontier inland waters;
• To exert control over persons and means of transport crossing the State border;
• To enforce the regulations of the frontier and, within the scope of its competence, the regulations of border crossing points;
• To enforce the regulations of environmental protection at State border protection facilities and control the use of natural resources in the frontier zone;
• Within the scope of its competence, to take part in the enforcement of customs regulations;
• To take part in the implementation of State control over migration;
• To take part in search and rescue activities in the sea, in the Curonian Lagoon and in frontier in-land waters;
• To take part in ensuring public peace and implement other law enforcement functions in the frontier zone;
• To defend the State in time of war as an integral part of the military forces;
• To implement other functions established by laws and other legal acts.

The Lithuanian border security system is based on the European IBM concept.

Within this context, the SBGS closely works together with other national law enforcement institutions in order to receive and share information on illegal immigration as well as cross-border and organized crime (including e.g. Lithuanian Customs and the Police Department under the MoI). On the international level, the SBGS cooperates with border services of neighboring countries, Frontex, Europol, Interpol and working groups of the Council of Europe in order to exchange and obtain information on border related crimes.

The Lithuanian border is 1765,83 km length. The Lithuanian border is a line and vertical surface going along that line defining the boundaries of the Republic of Lithuania on the ground, in the depths of the earth, air space, internal waters, and territorial sea and its depths.

Lithuanian border guards carry out border control about one-tenth of the whole run of the external land borders of the States Parties to the Schengen Treaty, 1073,36 km.

The SBGS consists of the Service Headquarter, Frontier districts, Border Guards School and other units.

Additional information:

• Lithuania is a member of the Schengen area since 2007, air border control was removed in 2008.
• Border security system in Lithuania is based on EU IBM concept. Lithuania has a unique Kaliningrad trains Transit through the territory of Lithuania.
• Lithuanian institutions have strong cooperation in the field of external borders with Frontex since 2007.

In 2008 by the Government of the Republic of Lithuania has designated SBGS as a national contact point for communication with the Frontex on all matters pertaining to the teams.

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