Muslim leader accuses Lithuanian institutions of exploiting migrant labor while blaming local communities

Lithuania’s chief mufti, Aleksandras Beganskas, has criticized universities, businesses, and local authorities for profiting from foreign labor while shifting blame onto Muslim communities for rising immigration, LRT.lt reports.

Speaking on the growing number of Muslims in Kaunas, Beganskas stated that municipalities, universities, and logistics firms benefit from recruiting foreign workers and students as cheap labor, only to later accuse local Muslim communities of encouraging migration. “They earn profits, invite foreigners, use them as a cheap workforce, and then blame us—Muslim communities—for bringing them here,” he said.

The Kaunas Muslim community recently highlighted overcrowding at the city’s mosque, where worshippers are forced to pray outdoors due to limited space. In a Facebook post, the community called on institutions, universities, and employers to engage in dialogue and address the lack of adequate facilities, emphasizing that Lithuania’s openness to international students and workers should include respect for their religious practices.

Beganskas also reiterated long-standing demands for the return of a roughly one-hectare plot adjacent to the mosque, confiscated during Soviet times. He dismissed claims that the land would be used for commercial purposes, stating: “We would use it solely for community needs—expanding parking or restoring historical buildings that once stood there. We wouldn’t build on graves, as some suggest.” He compared the proposed reconstruction to Lithuania’s restoration of Gediminas Tower, based on historical archives.

While Beganskas acknowledged that the number of Muslims in Kaunas is rising—including converts, students, workers, and refugees—he stressed that local communities are not responsible for immigration trends. “Whether there’s a mosque or not, people come to earn money,” he said, adding that businesses and universities drive recruitment, not religious groups.

The Kaunas mosque, built in the 19th century, currently accommodates around 150 worshippers. The community has urged state institutions to uphold EU values by ensuring conditions for religious practice amid Lithuania’s growing international workforce.