This is the number of refugees Lithuania could resettle by June 30, 2018, the government said in its resolution.
At Monday’s meeting, both Social Security and Labour Minister Algimanta Pabedinskienė and Healthcare Minister Rimantė Šalaševičiūtė raised the issue of the need of additional funding in the state budget. Prime Minister Algirdas Butkevičius emphasized, however, that only “a political decision” was made now, with money to be found later.
“For now, it is a political decision we are making for the European Council, we are giving our opinion on solidarity and organization, and we will search for the money then,” the prime minister told the meeting.
The final decision on distribution of refugees within the European Union will be made by the European Council.
The European Commission has asked member-states to accept 20,000 Syrian refugees over the next two years and also examine a share of the 40,000 asylum applications from Syrian and Eritrean citizens handled by Italy and Greece.
Brussels wants Lithuania to take in 207 refugees and process 503 asylum applications.
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