CORPORATE
refugee crisis
Foreign affairs
Lithuania allocates €20k to refugees in Turkey
Lithuania’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Thursday it had allocated EUR 20,000 in humanitarian aid to refugees in Turkey. […]
European Union
Lithuanian president on refugees: no documents, no asylum
The European Union must prioritize the security of European citizens over that of refugees, Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaitė believes. If that requires reintroducing border controls, so be it, she said in an interview with LRT radio. […]
European Union
Europe’s security might trump freedom of movement, Lithuanian minister says
The European Union might have to sacrifice the free movement of people for the sake of security, if it fails to control the flow of migrants, Lithuanian Interior Minister Saulius Skvernelis said on Tuesday. […]
European Union
EU must tighten migration policies or risk political instability, Lithuanian president says
The European Union must tighten its immigration policies as a massive influx of refugees could otherwise create political instability, Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaitė said in an interview to Bloomberg. […]
Politics
PM says Lithuania will manage to integrate refugees
Lithuania will manage to successfully integrate refugees from the Middle East, Prime Minister Algirdas Butkevičius believes, but said that the process will present many challenges. […]
CORPORATE
European Union
Refugee resettlement stalling: European Parliament debates binding obligations including Lithuania
Policymakers increasingly admit that Europe’s refugee relocation mechanism is stalling – countries like Lithuania feel it first-hand. Lithuania’s participation has not started on a high note – the only family (four persons) relocated under the mechanism is already suing the country for granting legal protection rather than refugee status. […]
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
Iraqi migrant family sues Lithuanian government for not granting refugee status
An Iraqi migrant family, which were the first to arrive in Lithuania under the European Union‘s refugee resettlement programme last December, is suing the Migration Department for not granting them refugee status. […]
Politics
Local rules need to be explained to refugees, president’s advisor says
“Cultural norms” and laws will have to be explained to refugees who will be resettled in Lithuania, says Lithuanian president’s chief foreign policy adviser Renaldas Vaisbrodas. […]
Opinion
What Lithuanians really think about immigration
Lithuanian residents would prefer to receive immigrants of the same ethnic group or race with barely 13 percent wanting to accept immigrants that are of another race or ethnic group. A survey performed by the Kaunas University of Technology (KTU) revealed these and other insights into the Lithuanian public’s opinions regarding immigrants. […]
European Union
EU Commissioner attacks Lithuanian politicians for turning immigration into election issue
Lithuanians should show their support for the EU not just in relation to EU investments in energy projects in Lithuania but also in helping other EU member states to solve the refugee crisis, says Vytenis Andriukaitis, the EU Health and Food Safety Commissioner. […]
European Union
Lithuania will not accept additional refugee quotas, president says
Attending the European Council on Thursday, Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaitė said that Lithuania would not participate in the newly suggested refugee resettlement from Turkey scheme until the earlier quota of 1,105 asylum seekers for Lithuania is completed. […]
European Union
Why Europe won’t protect its borders
The refugee crisis has uncovered a major flaw in the European Union‘s (EU) policy of free movement of people: porous external borders. Lithuanian commentators say some countries are just not interested in solving the problem. […]
Foreign affairs
Foreign affairs
Lithuania contributes EUR 150,000 to refugee fund
Lithuania has transferred EUR 150,000 to the Migrant and Refugee Fund (MRF). […]
Politics
President Grybauskaitė: benefits for refugees should not be increased
Refugees should not get bigger benefits than people who have worked in Lithuania for 30 or 40 years, President of Lithuania Dalia Grybauskaitė told LRT Radijas radio. According to the president, Lithuania has already designated considerable benefits compared to other countries. […]