Lithuania Revokes Nearly 1,500 Residence Permits, Bans Over 1,200 Foreign Nationals

Key Takeaways:

1. Lithuania has banned over 1,200 foreigners from entering the country and revoked nearly 1,500 residence permits.
2. Following the enforcement of stricter labor regulations, Lithuanian authorities conducted 61 inspections in May 2024.
3. As part of the crackdown, 42 companies have been barred from submitting mediation letters for foreign arrivals.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Lithuania has announced that 1,216 foreigners have been banned from entering the country. Additionally, migration authorities have revoked the residence permits of 1,483 individuals, primarily due to unsigned or terminated work contracts.

These actions come in the wake of stricter labor rules recently introduced by the Lithuanian government. In May 2024, the State Border Guard Service conducted 61 inspections, 12 of which were in collaboration with the Migration Department, the State Labor Inspectorate, and the State Tax Inspectorate. During these inspections, 1,471 foreign nationals were checked, resulting in 17 identified violations of the Lithuanian law "On the Legal Status of Foreigners."

Among the violations, a Kyrgyz citizen failing to comply with a return decision was detained and handed over to the Aliens Registration Center for further determination of his legal status. Furthermore, authorities returned an Uzbek citizen who had overstayed his legal stay and penalized 14 other nationals from countries including Belarus, Pakistan, Georgia, and Ukraine.

The Ministry also reported that 12 foreigners had their residence permits revoked due to security or public order threats, while others were denied temporary permits or changes to existing ones. The Migration Department refused to issue or amend temporary residence permits for 484 individuals, with 31 of these refusals due to security concerns.

In response to the abuse of immigration procedures, 42 companies have been prohibited from submitting mediation letters for the arrival of foreign workers. Amendments to the Law on the Legal Status of Foreigners, which propose stricter employment conditions for foreigners, are currently awaiting a decision in the Seimas.

Official statistics indicate that Lithuania has 219,506 foreigners holding valid residence permits, with 115,790 of these being temporary permits granted for employment purposes.