On April 10, the Director of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s Office in Lithuania, Dzianis Kuchynski, held a meeting with the Director of the Migration Department of Lithuania, Indrė Gasperė.
On behalf of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, Dzianis Kuchynski expressed gratitude to the Migration Department for its work and, in particular, for its assistance in the residency legalization of former political prisoners who were evacuated from Belarus to Lithuania.
The parties discussed current issues related to migration procedures, legal stay, and the challenges faced by applicants. As of today, nearly 50,000 Belarusians hold residence permits in Lithuania.
The discussion focused on processing times for applications, interagency checks, and a transparent system for tracking application status. Mr. Kuchynski raised concerns about waiting times for decisions, which in some cases affect employment opportunities and access to social guarantees.
Following the meeting, the following points were noted:
- A general meeting with interested organizations is planned for June, possibly at the Migration Department. Representatives of Belarusian and Lithuanian NGOs, including professional communities, will also be invited.
- A more transparent system for tracking application status and processing timelines is being considered. The updated system is expected to better reflect applicants’ legal status and reduce the risk of misunderstandings regarding their right to stay in Lithuania.
- While an application is under review, forced departure measures will not be applied: the review period serves as a legal basis for staying in Lithuania.
- Specific issues related to obtaining a foreigner’s travel document for Belarusians who cannot return to Belarus to obtain a passport were also raised.
Dzianis Kuchynski also handed over a document prepared by the Legal Department of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s Office, outlining current residency issues faced by Belarusians in Lithuania. The Department of Migration will carefully review the issues.
❗️ Recommendation: submit documents in advance — approximately 6 months before your current status expires.
If you have an urgent case requiring immediate attention, you can contact the Legal Department of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s Office: legal@tsikhanouskaya.org. Based on objective criteria, information about your case may be forwarded to the Migration Department through appropriate procedural channels.
