Lithuania renews work of government migration commission

Lithuanian Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevičius has ordered the government’s Migration Commission to resume work and renew its membership, LRT reported, citing the news agency ELTA.

Interior Minister Martynas Katelynas will coordinate the commission. It will work with responsible institutions to assess the effectiveness of current measures, find ways to manage migration flows and protect national security while meeting the needs of the labour market.

Sinkevičius said migration figures from recent years showed the need to review how migration policy is being implemented and consider systemic changes. “Lithuania does not intend to close itself off, but migration must be managed — we cannot leave the process to run on its own,” he said. The state must balance businesses’ legitimate workforce needs with national security interests, he added.

In June, President Gitanas Nausėda proposed a new fixed-term work permit model for citizens of non-EU countries. Under the proposal, foreign workers could work in Lithuania continuously for up to two years before having to leave. He has also proposed stricter national security checks for foreign nationals and a Lithuanian language requirement for those seeking to stay longer.

The Interior Ministry has announced plans to close four branches of an external service provider through which foreign nationals can apply for Lithuanian residence permits.