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“An Iraqi national who entered the Republic of Lithuania illegally went to his native country voluntarily, using our help and providing financial support. Similar decisions will be made on voluntary return for other arrivals. We are seeing an increase in the number of people. “They agree to leave voluntarily. Migrants who have crossed the Lithuanian border illegally and who are not granted asylum will have to leave. If they cooperate and agree to return on their own, we give them that opportunity,” says Interior Minister Agnė Bilotaitė.
An Iraqi citizen entered Lithuania illegally on June 20 this year and applied for asylum. It was housed in the Alien Registration Center. After examining the asylum application as a matter of urgency, the Migration Department decided not to grant asylum to this foreigner. The foreigner had identity documents and, in cooperation with officials, expressed his desire to return to Iraq.
The round-trip tickets for the migrant were purchased in cooperation with the European Border and Coast Guard Agency Frontex. He was also paid a € 300 travel allowance to return home.
From now on, under the revised voluntary return procedure for illegal migrants who are not granted asylum in the country, the Migration Department can provide financial support for voluntary repatriation, if they make such a request and cooperate with the competent authorities.
Migrants are always informed about the possibility of submitting an application to leave Lithuania voluntarily, and the application can be sent to specialists from the Department of Migration or the State Border Guard Service. A foreigner who wishes to return voluntarily to his country of origin is bought with travel tickets and a one-time cash benefit of € 300.
Both the Immigration Department and the State Border Guard Service process asylum applications from new arrivals. Since April this year, the Migration Department has made 128 decisions not to grant asylum, mainly to Iraqi citizens. No newcomers were granted asylum.
According to the latest data, 4,115 immigrants illegally crossed the border between Lithuania and Belarus this year.
