Lithuania restricts migration channels to prioritize state security

Lithuania is implementing changes to its migration policy to prioritize state security and controlled labor needs. Interior Minister Martynas Katelynas announced that the Government's Migration Commission will be updated and its activities coordinated by the Ministry to ensure migration processes align with long-term national interests and foreign policy priorities.

As part of these security-focused measures, the Ministry has restricted the ability to apply for temporary residence permits through external service provider branches in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan. Effective November 1, 2026, these specific channels will no longer be permitted for such applications. The list of countries where residence permit applications can be submitted has been reduced from 31 to 27.

Artūras Zuokas has commented on the shift, noting that Lithuania requires state-managed labor migration rather than uncontrolled flows. He highlighted that recent years saw a shift in migration geography from neighboring Eastern European countries to workers from Central Asia, India, Pakistan, and Africa, often facilitated by intermediaries. He noted that approximately 65,000 migrants arrived via external service providers over the last four years, with nearly half coming through the branches in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Bosnia and Herzegovina.