Germany sends signal of sending back refugees to Lithuania

  • 2017-03-27
  • BNS/TBT Staff

VILNIUS – Germany's migration authorities have notified Lithuania of its plans to send back yet another refugee to Lithuania. Although he has not yet reached Lithuania, non-governmental organizations organizing refugee integration say this could be a warning of more refugees to be sent back shortly.

Robertas Mikulenas, director of the Lithuanian Refugee Registration Center in Rukla, told BNS he was notified by the Migration Department a few weeks ago that the Syrian citizen who was currently in Germany and had been granted a refugee status in Lithuania should shortly be sent back to the Baltic state.

"I was told that one person would be returned from Germany, however, he has not arrived yet. I do not know the reasons behind the delay. They said about one individual," said Mikulenas.

Ilma Skuodiene of the Vilnius Caritas that is in charge of refugee integration told BNS this was the first sign of tightening German migration policies, which could to more persons being sent back to Lithuania after being relocated here or having been granted a refugee status here.

Under the European Union (EU) quota, Lithuania has committed itself to receiving 1,105 refugees by September. According to information provided by the Migration Department, 262 refugees have arrived in Lithuania, with merely a few dozen still living in Lithuania and about 180 having proceeded to other countries. In Mikulenas' words, those who left Lithuania have their refugee benefits suspended after a month of absence.