Lithuania recognises more than 700 Belarusians and Russians as threat to national security

Lithuania recognised 598 Belarusians and 125 Russians as a threat to national security in 2024.

According to Baltic states news website Delfi, with reference to the Lithuanian Department of Migration, based on estimates, 179 out of the 598 Belarusians who pose a threat were not issued a temporary residence permit in Lithuania last year, and 232 did not extend the validity of this document.

The residence permits of 175 Belarusian citizens were cancelled on the initiative of the Migration Department. Another three Belarusians were not granted permanent residence in Lithuania, and nine were deprived of this document.

It is also noted that 35 out of 125 Russians were not issued a temporary residence permit in Lithuania, and 36 did not extend it.

Another 24 Russian citizens were deprived of their previously obtained temporary residence permits.

For the first time, 16 Russians were denied a permanent residence permit in Lithuania. They are all banned from entering Lithuania.

Earlier, it was reported that Lithuania did not see the need to ease restrictions for visiting Belarusians.

Last autumn, it became known that Lithuania was planning to tighten the rules for applying for a residence permit through external service providers.