Prime Minister Butkevicius: Lithuania will accept up to 250 refugees

2015-06-22
From wire reports and TBT staff, VILNIUS

Refugees affected by the Mediterranean Crisis [Image: time.com]

The Lithuanian Government has decided to receive up to 250 refugees distributed by the European Commission, in an effort to ease the Mediterranean Crisis.

In a parliamentary meeting on Monday June 22, Social Security and Labour Minister, Algimanta Padbedinskiene, and Healthcare Minister, Rimante Salaseviciute, raised the issue of Lithuania needing additional funding to its state budget.

However, Prime Minister, Algirdas Butkevicius, stressed the decision had been taken, and the issue of funding would be dealt with in the future.

“For now, it is a political decision we are making for the European Council, we are giving our opinion on solidarity and organisation, then we will search for the money in the future,” said Butkevicius.

The European Commission has asked European Union member states to accept 20,000 refugees from Syria by 2018, and process a share of the 40,000 asylum applications handled by Italy and Greece.

The EC wants Lithuania to take in 207 refuges, and process 503 asylum applications.