Society
Lithuania records dramatic spike in emigration last year
Emigration from Lithuania last year grew over 20% against 2014, according to the country’s statistics office. Meanwhile the number of arrivals dropped by a tenth. […]
Migration
European Union
EU deal with Turkey may open up new migrant routes – Lithuanian president
The European Union‘s (EU) agreement with Turkey on returning migrants may open new migration routes to Europe, Lithuania’s President Dalia Grybauskaitė said after arriving at the European Summit on Thursday. […]
Opinion
Will the Baltic States become the next migrant gateway?
After the European Union cut off migrant routes via Libya to Italy and agreed with Turkey to stem migrant flows across the Aegean to Greece, the Baltic States fear that migrants from the Middle East might discover new routes via Russia, making them their gateway to the European Union. […]
Defence
Lithuanian border guards prepare for potential flow of refugees through Russia
As the European Union blocks the flow of illegal immigrants from Libya to Italy and negotiates similar agreements in Turkey and Greece, some fear that migrants may try a new approach towards entering the European Union that would take them through Russia and potentially the Baltic states. […]
Foreign affairs
Turkey-EU refugee deal success totally dependent on implementation, says analyst
European Council President Donald Tusk‘s statements that the days of illegal immigration to Europe were over was a very bold claim according to political scientist Vytis Jurkonis. […]
European Union
‘Asylum seekers cannot dictate their terms to EU’ Grybauskaitė says before EU-Turkey summit
Lithuania’s President Dalia Grybauskaitė is leaving for Brussels on Monday for a special European Council meeting to discuss measures to stem migrant flows to Europe in cooperation with Turkey and preserve the functioning of the Schengen passport-free area. […]
European Union
Migrants told “do not come to Europe” – EU Council president
European Council President Donald Tusk has said economic migrants will not be welcome in Europe, making an appeal not to come and warning they will they will be turned away. […]
Society
Refugee support rally in Vilnius says racism fuels anti-migrant sentiment in Lithuania
A rally organized in Vilnius this Saturday called for solidarity with refugees from war-stricken zones in the Middle East, while a similarly-sized counter-rally voiced concerns about a “clash of cultures” and security. […]
CORPORATE
Lithuanian truckers hit by losses from illegal migrants
Lithuanian carriers are being hit by significant losses caused by migrants trying to get to the UK on trucks illegally, with Lithuanian drivers calling the situation in Calais a war zone, reports LRT. […]
European Union
Benefit cuts will not halt Lithuanian migration to UK
Lithuanian migration to the United Kingdom will not be affected by benefit cuts recently agreed on by British and EU leaders, says social policy expert Romas Lazutka. […]
CORPORATE
Global LT
Lithuanians in Britain more concerned about Brexit than benefit cuts
The Lithuanian community in Great Britain have more concerns about the possibility of the country leaving the European Union than proposals to cut benefits for EU migrants. […]
European Union
EU’s refugee relocation from Greece ‘disappointing’, says ambassador
The European Union‘s response to Greece‘s requests for refugee relocation has been disappointing so far, Greek Ambassador to Lithuania Iraklis Asteriadis says. […]
Society
Illegal immigration now a top issue for Lithuanians
The number of Lithuanians concerned about illegal migration has rocketed in the last year, with 19% of Lithuanians choosing illegal migration as the most important public security issue, according to a new survey. […]
Society
Population of Lithuania shrank by 33k last year
Over the last year, Lithuania’s population has shrunk by 33,000 people, Statistics Lithuania says. It is the size of a mid-sized town. […]
Economy
Cheap ruble upped illegal migration to Lithuania
The dropping value of the currencies of Russia and Belarus has forced some migrant workers from these countries to make their way to Lithuania, mostly illegally, the State Border Guard Service says. […]
Society
Migrant family case against Lithuania will help clarify refugee rules, say experts
The lawsuit against the Lithuanian state by a migrant family from Iraq who arrived in Lithuania last December under the European Union‘s refugee resettlement programme will help clarify refugee handling procedures, according to legal experts. […]
Society
Lithuanian population shrank 1.1% last year
The Lithuanian population has lost 1.1% or 32,700 people over the last year, preliminary estimates from Statistics Lithuania suggest. The primary reason for the negative growth is emigration. […]
Society
Immigrants to Lithuania happy to stay for long term
Many immigrants to Lithuania are happy with their lives here and are not planning to move back to their homelands. A number of immigrants shared their stories on LRT programme Ryto garsai (morning sounds). […]
European Union
Border controls introduced by some EU countries ‘unavoidable’, Grybauskaitė says
Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaitė says that the recent introduction of temporary border checks in Sweden is the outcome of failing to control the European Union‘s external borders. […]