Director of the Migration Department Evelina Gudzinskaitė has announced that Belarusian citizens already residing in Lithuania would have to fill in the same questionnaire like Belarusians currently arriving in Lithuania.
“We will undertake to screen all Belarusian citizens who had received residence permits on the grounds of employment at the time when the additional questionnaire was not in use,” Gudzinskaitė told ELTA.
In case “negative information” about an individual is identified, the Migration Department will refer to the State Security Department (VSD) for further decision. If the latter concludes that the person poses a threat to national security, then the residence permit will be terminated.
Russians and Belarusians moving to Lithuania have to fill a special questionnaire as of November 2022. In it, they are asked about their views on the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Since the questionnaire was introduced, 1,644 Belarusians and 397 Russians were deemed to pose a threat to Lithuania’s national security.
Moreover, Lithuania may tighten restrictions further. MP Laurynas Kasčiūnas, chair of the Seimas Committee on National Security and Defence, proposes that Russian and Belarusian citizens constantly returning to their home countries would forfeit residence permits in Lithuania.
