Government Vice-Chancellor Deividas Matulionis told BNS that the possibility of returning to Lithuania and getting support for integration in the country would be a positive sign for Lithuanian expatriates.
“There was Ukraine, there was a specific case, we had a decision for that in 2016, but it was ad hoc, and now we want to create a system where if you have a problem, we’ll get you back — whether you are Lithuanian citizens or people of Lithuanian origin. In other words, it is a message to our compatriots that the state will take care,” he said.
People facing a threat in the country they live in, including “a catastrophic economic situation”, could be relocated to Lithuania, the official said.
According to Matulionis, the government decided on Wednesday to draft a separate law based on the current regulatory guidelines.
He added that the Foreign Ministry would organize the relocation of such people and the Social Security and Labor Ministry would be responsible for their integration.
“There would be a completely new status: the status of a relocated person. It would be granted either to a Lithuanian citizen or a person of Lithuanian descent,” the vice-chancellor said.
“A person with that status would immediately receive all the rights enjoyed by a permanent resident of Lithuania,” he added.
Relocated persons would be eligible for housing subsidies and monthly allowances for essential needs for a year.