Lithuania’s Interior Ministry has drafted law amendments, allowing rejected asylum seekers free movement in the country. Under the proposals, the people would also be allowed to find employment.
"Although, I stress, this does not negate the possibility of sending them back to their country of origin," Deputy Interior Minister Arnoldas Abramavičius said on Tuesday. "But the population of the country should be reassured that there will be no mass release of migrants from the current accommodation places, the deadlines will be at different times."
There are 2,627 irregular migrants with different statuses living in five registration centres, according to Abramavičius. The parliament will also decide whether to allow migrants the right to work after spending 12 or 18 months in the country.
Read more: Lithuania not to extend detention of asylum seekers – minister
"As of today, 1,467 irregular migrants have either not applied for asylum or have not been granted asylum," he said, adding that "they must be returned to their countries of origin".
Another 1,160 asylum claims are still pending, the vice minister added.
Initially, the detention period of migrants who crossed into Lithuania irregularly was set at six months, but the parliament later decided to extend it to 12.
Several thousand people, mostly from Africa and the Middle East, crossed into Lithuania irregularly via Belarus last year. Vilnius says the crisis was manufactured by the Minsk regime in response to EU sanctions, imposed in the wake of the repressions against the Belarusian opposition.
Read more: Migration crisis in Baltics and Poland
During a press conference on Tuesday, Abramavičius outlined the possible scenarios for migrants currently in the country.
Twelve months after a person’s registration in the Lithuanian migration system, the Migration Department will decide whether to allow them to leave the migrant camps. Most of the people are unlikely to be subject to movement restrictions, Abukevičius said.
"They will be able to choose, within their financial means, the location of their accommodation. But on the other hand, the Migration Department will be able to make decisions to continue to accommodate them in registration centres," the vice minister said.
After 12 months, irregular migrants who have not applied for asylum or have not been granted international protection will be able to appeal to the court, which will decide whether to restrict their movement or apply alternative measures.
"The alternatives can be different. One of them is that the foreigner can live in a place of his or her choice and periodically report to the Migration Department or the [State Border Guard Service] VSAT at a fixed time, or inform these services about his or her whereabouts at a fixed time by digital means," Abramavičius said.
A Lithuanian citizen or a foreign national legally residing in the country may also become a host. Those wishing to remain at the migration camps will be able to do so.
Meanwhile, the VSAT will continue to seek options to repatriate rejected asylum seekers.
So far, 1,075 people have returned voluntarily to their countries of origin, including 602 in 2022. A further 45 people have expressed their wish to return to their countries of origin.
Migrants registered in Lithuania are not allowed to leave the country or to apply for asylum and residency in another EU country. If they leave and are detained in another EU country, they will be returned to Lithuania.
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