Lithuania considers automatic deportation for foreigners convicted of intentional crimes

The Lithuanian parliament will debate a proposal to amend immigration laws to allow the automatic deportation of foreigners convicted of intentional criminal offences, public broadcaster LRT reports.

A mixed group of lawmakers, led by MP Vytautas Sinica, submitted draft amendments to the Law on the Legal Status of Aliens on Tuesday. If approved, the changes would require foreign nationals sentenced for deliberate crimes—excluding minor misdemeanours—to leave Lithuania after serving their prison terms.

“If a foreigner wants to live in Lithuania, they must unconditionally comply with the laws in force here,” Sinica told parliament during the proposal’s presentation. The initiative received initial backing from 48 MPs, with three opposed and 33 abstaining.

Under the draft, employers of convicted foreigners facing deportation would cover the associated costs, though Sinica stated he remained open to further discussion on this provision. The interior minister would also be tasked with establishing a procedure for reimbursing deportation expenses.

The amendments, if adopted, would take effect on 1 July this year. The foreign affairs committee will review the proposal before a plenary vote scheduled for 12 May. Current law does not explicitly mandate deportation for foreigners convicted of intentional crimes.