Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda called for limiting the number of immigrants entering the country, BNS reports. Speaking on LRT, Nauseda argued that “uncontrolled immigration was, first and foremost, a national security issue.” Given the “demographic hole” that Lithuania faces, failure to control immigration could lead to “outcomes none of us want,” Nauseda stated. He insisted…
Latvia’s Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs (PMLP) will inform altogether 4,650 Russian citizens on steps they need to take to be able to stay in Latvia after changes to the country’s law on immigration, LETA reports. Russian nationals with permanent residence permits must apply for the status of a permanent EU resident and pass…
The number of temporary residence permits issued to foreigners in Lithuania declined for the first time in the first half of 2024, according to data from the Lithuanian Migration Department (LMD), BNS reports. At the same time, the number of permit renewals increased several times. LMD issued 78,121 temporary residence permits to foreigners in six…
Latvia’s State Border Guard (VRS) prevented a total of 2,770 people from illegally entering Latvia from Belarus in the first half of 2024, LSM reports. Only 12 people were admitted to Latvia on humanitarian grounds. VRS chief Guntis Pujats said that “very massive attempts” had been made to cross the border from Belarus to Poland…
A group of 24 migrants have filed a class action lawsuit against Lithuania, seeking compensation of EUR 5,000 each for their arbitrary detention in 2021-2022, BNS reports. The claimants allege that the Lithuanian government unlawfully detained at least 4,000 migrants for months without judicial review during an emergency declared due to irregular border crossings from…
The number of border violations on Latvia’s eastern border with Belarus is increasing amid warmer weather, State Border Guard (VRS) chief Guntis Pujats announced, LSM reports. He noted that the situation on the border remained calm in January and early February 2024, but that the number of attempts to cross the border illegally had picked up…
Lithuania has altogether 2,266 stateless residents, of whom 2,151 have permanent residence permits, according to data from the Lithuanian Migration Department (LMD), LRT reports. In 2018, the number of stateless people totalled 3,193. Most of the stateless residents are persons who failed to apply for citizenship after Lithuania regained its independence in 1991. Stateless persons…
Lithuania’s permanent population totalled 2,886,500 people in the beginning of 2024, which was 29,000 (1%) more than in the same period of 2023, according to the State Data Agency (VDA), BNS reports. Around 22,000 permanent residents emigrated from Lithuania in 2023, which was up 44% from 15,300 in 2022. Some 12,000 foreigners and 10,000 Lithuanian…
The Lithuanian Migration Department (LMD) has not found any more Lithuanian citizens with family ties to individuals subject to EU sanctions, BNS reports. LMD checked 3,571 individuals on sanctions lists and found that none of them or their spouses or children currently hold Lithuanian citizenship. LMD director Evelina Gudzinskaite said that earlier information, which indicated…