06-04-2023
Minister A. Bilotaitė and S. Tsichanouskaya discussed about Belarusians in Lithuania
Minister of Interior Agnė Bilotaitė and Belarusian National Leader Sviatlana Tsichanouskaya discussed the situation of Belarusians living in Lithuania, the law on restrictive measures adopted by Seimas yesterday, practical aspects of the implementation of the legal acts regulating their status, as well as migration and security issues.
"We will continue to support Belarusian citizens and the opposition persecuted by the Lukashenko regime. We will do our utmost to balance the interests of national security with our duty to welcome our neighbouring country's citizens in need of assistance," said Minister Bilotaitė at the meeting.
The meeting agreed to raise awareness among Belarusians living in Lithuania, as well as to set up a regular group to discuss practical issues related to Belarusians living in Lithuania.
Currently, there are about 49,000 Belarusian citizens living in Lithuania (about 18,000 in 2020). The vast majority of Belarusians have a temporary residence permit and almost 70% of them have a permanent source of income in Lithuania. Around 5,000 Belarusian nationals have benefited from the simplified labour relocation programme offered by Lithuania and another 1,000 Belarusian workers are expected to arrive.
Migration of Belarusian citizens to Lithuania has increased after the unfair elections in August 2020, which were followed by mass repression by the Lukashenko regime. The second wave was triggered by Russia's war against Ukraine. According to a survey conducted last year, around 86% of respondents said they left Belarus for political reasons.