Lithuania's cabinet has approved a package of amendments to transpose the European Union's Migration and Asylum Pact into national law, though the changes still require parliamentary approval.
The package, prepared by the Interior Ministry, would amend the Law on the Legal Status of Aliens and related legislation. Under the proposals, foreigners subject to EU-mandated screening, border or return procedures would be housed at designated screening sites without the right to move freely within Lithuania.
Screening would be conducted by the State Border Guard Service and the Reception and Integration Agency, with the interior minister and the minister of social security and labour responsible for defining procedures, including vulnerability assessments.
Following an individual assessment, a foreigner could be permitted to leave the site temporarily if the risk of absconding is considered manageable.
The amendments would also replace the terms "asylum" and "refugee" with standardised international protection terminology, update application and status titles accordingly, and clarify the status of family members.
