After the head of Lithuania’s intelligence noted a 14-fold increase in Central Asian migrants since 2021, Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė says the total number is still quite small and should not be used to scare the public.
“It is clear that the labour market needs, which were previously met by immigrants from Ukraine and Belarus, with the start of a large-scale invasion, with Ukrainian men fighting on the front line, there has been a fundamental change in the structure of the workforce that our businesses need, and it has been at the expense of the Central Asian population as well. The number of these people has certainly increased from very small numbers,” Šimonytė told the radio Žinių Radijas on Thursday.
Darius Jauniškis, the head of the State Security Department (VSD), told LNK News on Wednesday that his agency does not have the capacity to screen all migrants and that this poses counter-intelligence and terrorism risks.
“The head of the State Security Department perhaps should not be frightened by those growth figures, because indeed the growth looks impressive, but the total number of those people is certainly not very high,” Šimonytė commented on the statements.
According to the prime minister, the number of third-country nationals with a temporary residence permit in Lithuania had increased by several hundred this year by October 1.
“There were indeed problems. These problems were already partially regulated by the laws that came into force, and I think that from 2025 onwards, when the quota [for workers from third countries] on the number of people who can come to Lithuania will be in force, it will be possible to use additional regulations on these issues,” she said.
Jauniškis’ statements could be seen as a plea for more funding for the VSD, as the government is drafting next year’s budget, Šimonytė noted.
According to the data of the Migration Department, there were some 10,600 thousand Uzbeks living in Lithuania on October 1. The number was 8,200 at the beginning of the year and only 998 in early 2022. Uzbek citizens currently make up the fourth largest diaspora community in Lithuania.
The number of residents from Tajikistan increased from 5,700 thousand to 7,200 over the first nine months of 2024.
Ukrainians remain the largest community of foreign nationals in Lithuania, totalling 77,500 people. Belarusians number 61,300, while Russian citizens number 15,300, according to the Department of Migration.
Overall, 222,000 foreigners have valid residence permits in Lithuania at the moment, down by several hundred since September 1.
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