The Lithuanian cabinet on Wednesday extended temporary residence permits for war refugees from Ukraine for another year.
The temporary protection period, currently set to expire in March 2025, was extended until March 4, 2026.
According to the Migration Department, 30 to 40 new applications for temporary residence permits are registered daily.
Currently, over 44,300 individuals hold valid residence permits in Lithuania under the temporary protection scheme.
Interior Minister Agnė Bilotaitė says the extension will reduce the administrative burden for Ukrainians as they will have a longer valid residence permit and it will also reduce the workload of the Migration Department’s staff.
This extension proposal is in line with an EU-wide decision made in June this year.
The EU activated the temporary protection mechanism on March 4, 2022, shortly after Russia’s forces invaded Ukraine.
The mechanism offers displaced Ukrainians collective protection and grants them rights such as residence, employment, housing, and medical care, and education for their children.
Newsletter
Every Friday morning.
