MP wants Lithuania to ban Belarusian emigrants from obtaining temporary residence

December 4, Pozirk. Laurynas Kasčiūnas, head of the national security committee in the Lithuanian parliament, has announced his plan to discuss possible new restrictions for Belarusian nationals in the Seimas, LRT reported.

He intends to propose amendments that would ban newly arrived Belarusians from obtaining temporary residence permits. The move would help reduce security threats both for Lithuania and the Belarusian opposition as those who arrive may be linked to Alaksandar Łukašenka’s special services, he stressed.

Lithuania would maintain a humanitarian corridor for people fleeing politically-motivated persecution in Belarus and grant temporary residence for qualified Belarusian workers, Kasčiūnas said.

One day earlier, Darius Jauniškis, head of Lithuania’s State Security Department, said that 80 percent of Belarusians currently living in Lithuania are economic migrants who might represent a threat to Lithuania’s security as they regularly travel to Belarus and may be recruited by Belarusian special services.

Earlier, the parliamentary national security committee came out against the interior ministry’s proposal to extend the validity of residence permits for Belarusians from one to three years.