Lithuania returns suspected Belarusians: some are being deported within two weeks, others are still trying to litigate

Having opened its doors wide to Belarusians fleeing Lukashenko’s regime, Lithuania is now chasing thousands of them out because they pose a threat to the state security. Last year alone, around 1,500 Belarusian citizens sheltered in Lithuania were recognised as a threat by the VSD (State Security Service), Aušrinė Ionovienė states in TV3.lt.

Some of the accused are desperate to stay in Lithuania, claiming that some of them were forcibly taken to Belarus by the authorities.

One Belarusian, who the authorities consider a threat to state security, has begun to argue his innocence.

Thirty-two-year-old Belarusian Leanid Nasanovich, who wants to make his story public, has lived in Vilnius with his wife and two children for over a couple of years. He says he fled Lukashenko’s regime because his wife was an election observer, and he supported the opposition with money.

“They arrested a friend of ours who we were with, found us through him, so my wife and I have not been going to Belarus since 2022,” says Leanid Nasanovich.

Recently, the husband received a letter from the Migration Department saying that his presence in Lithuania threatens state security and that he and his family must return to Belarus within two weeks.

“My residence permit will be revoked because, since 2015, I have worked at the Belarusian nuclear power plant for several years on a post-university appointment. It has led to suspicions that I may have connections with the special services and that former colleagues may have recruited me,” the man says.

It’s not clear why he’s being chased out

When he first arrived, the Belarusian man said he had worked at the Belarusian nuclear power plant, but the DSS only now recognised him as a threat. The man is looking for a lawyer to appeal the decision and stay in Lithuania.

“I do not feel threatened. I am a victim of this regime rather than an accomplice. It is not safe for me to return to Belarus. We could face jail, detention, criminal proceedings”, says the Belarusian.

As the Migration Department replied that it does not comment on information about non-public persons, the DSS does not explain the situation. It remains unclear whether Lithuanian officials are chasing people out of Lithuania for a good reason or just because of the name of the workplace on the paperwork and theoretical assumptions.

“We do not comment on individual cases. Belarusian citizens who have come to Lithuania and whose links with Belarusian intelligence have not been severed pose a threat to Lithuania’s national security interests. Belarusian intelligence services also use nationals of their own country living in Lithuania who have previously worked in the state sector,” the State Security Department reports.

“The Security Department and other agencies have started to check these people very seriously, and they may be unhappy, but we certainly shouldn’t prevent the security services from doing their job,” said Žygimantas Pavilionis, Chairman of the European Affairs Committee.

“Facilities such as nuclear power plants are also subject to control by the special services of authoritarian states,” says Minister of National Defence Laurynas Kasčiūnas.

We will soon feel the consequences

According to Kasčiūnas, Belarusian or Russian secret services can exploit a person’s vulnerability through family members in Lithuania and Belarus.

“If they see that he has established himself, maybe has access to some information, to some entities, they can try to activate him and act in favour of the Belarusian services. The risk is high,” Kasčiūnas said.

“A big risk, how to control it, usually when it wasn’t such a big amount, is still possible. The number of migrants we have let in now in 4 years is over 200,000 here. We will start to feel the consequences very soon”, comments Dainius Gaižauskas, Vice-Chairman of the Committee on National Security and Defence.

Last year alone, the DSS recognised almost 1,500 Belarusians as a threat to state security. This year, the services have also identified them.

“As far as Belarusian citizens are concerned, there are 224 persons who have been recognised as a threat,” says Interior Minister Agnė Bilotaitė.

Not all those found to be a threat are removed

Since July, a person who poses a threat has to leave the country, even if they have gone to court.

“In this case, we have 9 cases where the State Border Guard Service has forcibly expelled such persons from Lithuania,” says Ms Bilotaitė.

“Since this is a threat to society, we bring him to the state border, where he goes through the border check himself and leaves for the Republic of Belarus. We are joking; we provide a courier service for foreigners,” explains Audrius Šantaras, the Head of the Migration Division.

However, the Border Guard Service does not deport all those deemed a threat to state security.

“There are a few cases where we can’t find them according to the locations they indicate. It is possible that they maliciously changed their residence to avoid being deported by us,” says Audrius Šantaras.

Some of the threatening persons do not stay for two weeks – they are given a few hours to pack their belongings and are handed over to the Belarusian border guards by border guards.