Migrants describe Pabradė centre as prison, border service disputes claims

Migrants have described poor conditions and strict limits on daily life at Lithuania’s Pabradė Foreigners’ Registration Centre, with some comparing it to a prison. The State Border Guard Service disputes parts of their accounts, LRT reports.

Several Russian-speaking migrants contacted LRT after it reported on problems with basic living conditions at centres for foreigners in Lithuania. They cited unclean rooms, food, movement restrictions and difficulties getting medical care. Their experiences varied: some described severe conditions and constant stress, while others recalled good food and an ordinary routine.

One of the people interviewed, a Russian citizen identified as Anna, spent about seven months at the Pabradė centre after crossing the Lithuanian-Belarusian border illegally in summer 2023. She asked that her real name not be published. She said she and her husband, who is from Belarus, sought political asylum after entering Lithuania by crossing a lake. Border guards found them, and after several days at a border post, they were sent to Pabradė.

Anna said they spent their first days in isolation and had gone several days without food before receiving a meal. She later stayed in several buildings, both open and closed. She described the closed accommodation as dirty and neglected, and said residents sometimes had to ask for cleaning supplies and spend hours cleaning their rooms.

She also said residents were given three meals a day, but that portions were small and often supplemented with large amounts of white bread. In her view, the amount was not enough for adults who exercised or were otherwise active.

Border Guard Service representative Giedrius Mišutis said many complaints reflected subjective assessments or expectations that did not match reality. He said some accounts concerned periods when the centre operated under different rules. Mišutis said the state provides foreigners with necessary living conditions and medical and psychological assistance, while restrictions on movement depend on a person’s legal status.