Lithuania Planning To Check Over 18 Thousand Belarusians

It will be necessary to fill out a questionnaire.

This year, the Lithuanian Migration Department plans to check more than 18,000 Belarusians who settled in the country before the restrictions and checks introduced in 2022, Delfi writes.

According head of the Migration Department Evelina Gudzinskaitė, these people will have to fill out a questionnaire, which Belarusians coming to Lithuania are currently filling out.

— We will check all Belarusians who had received a residence permit in Lithuania for work before the questionnaire was introduced. There are about 18,000 such Belarusians in Lithuania, up to 20,000,” Gudzinskaitė said.

According to her, if negative information appears about a person, the Migration Department will contact the State Security Department (SSD). Further actions will depend on the findings of the SSD.

Refusal to complete the questionnaire will not be considered in favor of the applicant.

Responses will also be assessed. If negative information is found in the answers, we will consult with the State Security Department. If the State Security Department indicates that a person poses a threat to national security, then such a person will be deprived of a residence permit,” Gudzinskaitė noted.

From November 2022, Russians and Belarusians entering Lithuania must fill out a special questionnaire and express their attitude towards Russia’s war in Ukraine. After the appearance of this questionnaire, 2,041 citizens of these countries were recognized as a threat to Lithuania’s national security (1,644 Belarusians, 397 Russians).

This year, Lithuanian politicians are talking about tightening entry rules into Lithuania for citizens of Belarus and Russia. Head of the parliamentary committee for national security and defense Laurynas Kasčiūnas proposes to deprive Belarusians and Russians of residence permits if they regularly travel to their homeland.

At the beginning of February, the Lithuanian Parliament in the first reading approved amendments to the law, according to which it is proposed to extend national sanctions against citizens of Russia and Belarus for a year and tighten the checks of Belarusians upon entry into Lithuania.

As before, restrictions on the issuance of visas for Russians and Belarusians remain in force. There are exceptions for those persons who are spouses of citizens of Lithuania or other EU countries, or members of crews engaged in international transportation. The restrictions will not apply to persons coming to Lithuania for humanitarian reasons. If parliament accepts these amendments, they will come into force and will be valid until May 2, 2025.