Lithuania’s new government is signalling a tougher approach to migration, with President Gitanas Nausėda proposing stricter rules for foreign workers and officials insisting that migration flows could pose economic and security challenges.
Under Nausėda’s proposal, foreign workers would receive temporary work permits valid for two years and would then be required to leave Lithuania for at least six months before being allowed to return. Moreover, they would not have the right to family reunification – that is, to bring their families while they work in Lithuania.
The plan has drawn criticism from legal experts and business representatives, who warn that tighter restrictions could worsen labour shortages and hurt the economy.
At the same time, security officials say migration routes through the region have become part of a broader security challenge linked to Russia and Belarus.
Lithuania experienced a major migration crisis in 2021, when thousands of migrants crossed or attempted to cross the border from Belarus in what the European Union described as a state-sponsored pressure campaign.
