The leader of Lithuania's opposition Conservative party, Laurynas Kasčiūnas, has said he will propose tightening the country’s immigration policy by late July. Among his suggestions is a requirement for foreign nationals to have basic knowledge of the Lithuanian language.
“By the end of July [...] we’ll be putting forward several of proposals aimed at tightening our immigration policy,” Mr Kasčiūnas told Žinių Radijas on Friday.
“One of the things I’ll be proposing is this: currently, when someone is living here on a temporary residence permit – which is valid for five years – and wishes to renew it, there is no requirement to demonstrate a certain level of proficiency in the state language. I’ll be suggesting we introduce such a requirement so that people who are here begin learning the state language and show respect for our country,” he said.
The conservative leader also voiced opposition to the government’s intention to postpone the introduction of a requirement for foreign nationals working in the service sector to provide services in Lithuanian, which is scheduled to come into force next year.
“This is, again, unacceptable, and we will absolutely oppose any move to liberalise the rules,” Mr Kasčiūnas insisted.
As reported by BNS, last October, the Lithuanian Parliament adopted legislation obliging foreign nationals who provide direct services to customers to possess a basic level of proficiency in Lithuanian.
The responsibility for ensuring compliance lies with state institutions, employers, managers, and the foreign nationals themselves. Manufacturers, retailers, and service providers are also required to present essential information about their goods and services in the state language and to label products accordingly.
The Ministry of Education, Science and Sport has proposed postponing the requirement to provide services in Lithuanian, due to limited capacity to conduct language examinations.
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