Lithuania yet to decide whether to take in asylum seekers or pay money, says deputy min

Lithuania has not yet decided whether it will take a quota of asylum seekers set for each year in the wake of the new EU-level decisions on migration and asylum policy, a deputy interior minister says. The alternative would be to pay a few million euros to a support fund instead.

Member states would still have two more years to decide on the option after legislation takes effect, according to Arnoldas Abramavičius.

The European Parliament on Wednesday adopted stricter rules on migration and asylum in the European Union (EU). The legislation is based on a mandatory solidarity system, which requires all EU countries to share responsibility for processing asylum applications. If an EU member state is unwilling to accept asylum seekers from non-EU countries, it must provide alternative assistance, such as financial contributions to a support fund.

The new migration and asylum pact means Lithuania would need to take in 158 asylum-seekers or pay a sum of around EUR 3 million each year.

“The standard implementation period is 24 months. Once the pact and the regulations are adopted by the Council of Ministers, and the pact is published at the end of June, we will have 24 months to decide which option is more suitable for Lithuania,” Abramavičius told the LRT public radio on Monday

The regulation fully takes effect in two years, but Lithuania could join in earlier if willing, he added.