Bilotaitė: we will accept as many Ukrainians as we need

Minister of the Interior Agnė Bilotaitė visits the registration centres in Alytus and Marijampolė for war refugees from Ukraine. Minister Bilotaitė and the Mayor of Alytus, Nerijus Cesulis, discussed the organisation and coordination of the reception of refugees and what is lacking to make the reception process as smooth as possible, TV3.lt reported.

All foreigners fleeing the war in Ukraine are directed to registration centres in Alytus and Marijampole. These centres can accommodate people for up to 72 hours and are used for migration procedures and allocation to temporary accommodation.

“It is our duty to help the people of Ukraine who are fleeing the war in their country caused by Putin’s Russia. We will take in as many refugees from Ukraine as we need. The most important thing for them now is to give them a sense of security. Therefore, we will create all the conditions for refugees to obtain documents to live and work in Lithuania, as well as other necessary social and medical services,” said Interior Minister Agnė Bilotaitė.

According to Minister Bilotaitė, most Ukrainian refugees seek shelter with their relatives and friends, while others are being offered temporary accommodation.

At the moment, 15 people, including six children, live in the Alytus Centre. According to the civic initiative “Strong Together” data, 34 families are currently hosted by volunteers, and 104 families’ applications are being processed.

Today, there are approximately 200 registered Ukrainian citizens in Lithuania, 33 of them at the Alytus Registration Centre and 164 at the territorial offices of the Migration Department.

Lithuanian municipalities are ready to receive about 11,000 war refugees from Ukraine. The civic initiative “Strong Together” reports that active Lithuanian citizens could accommodate 23,000 refugees, and 5,694 dwellings are registered.

By order of the Minister of the Interior, Ms Bilotaitė, Ukrainian refugees and their family members who do not have a valid travel document are issued with an alien registration certificate, pending the resolution of their legal status.

War refugees will also not be required to present travel documents, health insurance and other documents that entitle them to enter and stay in the Republic of Lithuania. In addition, refugees from Ukraine will be guaranteed the right to receive emergency medical assistance and other necessary personal health care services.