Following the tightening of migration control measures, the number of people who have not been permitted to live and work in Lithuania has seen an increase.
According to data provided by the Lithuanian Ministry of Interior, so far this year, almost 36,000 foreigners have been denied work and residency in Lithuania, Schengen.News reports.
As the Ministry explained, this is a result of the amendments made to the Law on the Legal Status of Foreigners, which entered into force on July 1, together with some other strict measures.
By making amendments to the law and tightening the migration control measures, Lithuania aims to keep the number of foreigners entering its territory under check and ensure that only individuals who meet the eligibility criteria are able to work and live in the country.
Recent figures show that currency there are around 116,000 foreigners working in Lithuania and 220,000 foreigners residing in the country, including Ukrainian refugees.
Commenting on the current situation, the Minister of Interior of Lithuania, Agnė Bilotaitė, said that in the last four years, Lithuania has become an attractive destination for living and earning a living.
However, according to the Minister, tightened measures are necessary to ensure security within the country and manage migration.
Not only the numbers of people coming to live and work are increasing, but also the need for control. Although we will see the result of the tightened measures only later, it is obvious that we are on the right path, the immigration situation is under control.
Lithuania Sees Drop in Residence Permit Applications for Work Purposes
One of the measures that Lithuania has taken is the regulation of the number of incoming workers coming to the country with the help of external service providers. The country has reduced the number of external service providers to 30 from 34.
Moreover, the country has tightened residence permit rules. So far, in 2024, a total of 67,175 residence permit applications were processed, with 20,410 of them rejected due to deficiencies.
Data show that following the tightening of migration control, the number of foreigners applying for residence permits for work purposes has dropped, especially from Central Asian countries.
This year, nationals of Central Asian countries filed 2,344 residence permit applications for work purposes. On the other hand, in the same period last year, they filed 8,907 applications.
In addition to taking measures against foreigners, Lithuania has also tightened its control on Lithuanian companies. The authorities have banned a total of 45 companies from inviting foreign workers to Lithuania.
The authorities are also conducting inspections on companies employing foreign workers to ensure that all rules and regulations are being followed.
