Vilnius mayor urges parliament to quickly adopt migration system tightening amendments

Vilnius Mayor Valdas Benkunskas has called on the Seimas (Lithuanian parliament) to swiftly adopt amendments to tighten migration policy, following the parliament’s initial approval of President Gitanas Nausėda’s proposed changes, LRT reports.

“An important legal step has been taken in the right direction. I strongly urge the Seimas to finalise the adoption of this migration reform as soon as possible. I believe that with the requirement to learn Lithuanian, the entire language learning ecosystem will naturally strengthen—both demand and supply will increase. And language, in every sense, is the first key to successful cultural and social coexistence,” Benkunskas said in a statement released by the municipality.

The mayor also expressed gratitude to President Nausėda for dedicating time to this issue.

On Tuesday, the Seimas gave initial approval to the president’s proposal to introduce a new fixed-term work permit model for foreigners. Under this model, migrants would be allowed to work in Lithuania for two years, after which they would be required to leave the country for at least six months. This model would complement the existing long-term immigration system, but the annual immigration quota would not increase under either model.

The proposed amendments to the Law on the Legal Status of Aliens and related laws would establish a faster procedure for the arrival and processing of applications for such foreign workers, allowing businesses to hire foreigners more quickly where local workers are unavailable. The review process would take 28 days. Meanwhile, high-skilled workers from third countries would not face residency restrictions in Lithuania.

According to earlier statements from the Presidential Office, the fixed-term work permit model would be most suitable for foreign workers who do not intend to live permanently or long-term in Lithuania and come to work for no longer than two years, such as long-haul drivers or construction workers.

In early May, Benkunskas collected residents’ signatures in Vilnius Cathedral Square in support of strengthening Lithuania’s immigration policy. The municipality’s proposed program stipulates that only foreigners with A2-level Lithuanian language skills would be eligible to extend their temporary residence permits.

The president’s bill was supported by 58 MPs in the initial reading, with 4 abstentions and 1 vote against.