There is no bright future for illegal immigrants in Europe: detection in other countries would lead to their return to Lithuania

The worst situation is in the firewalls

Kristina Meidė, head of the Lithuanian Red Cross, said on the Delfi television program “Essentially” that living conditions in temporary accommodation are improving.

“We found the roof, we found the food, we finished supplying clothes. Medical services, where there was a very big problem, mobile teams are already circulating in the camps today because people have chronic diseases, there are pregnant women, children with disabilities. A month ago, there was no help at all. We are already talking about educating those children. Progress is really, “said K. Meidė.

According to her, around a couple thousand people, according to last week’s data, still live in firewalls, where conditions are the most difficult.

“The most critical situation in the firebreaks is because there is a rainy season in Lithuania, the nights are cold and there are still children and women there,” said the head of the Red Cross.

According to her, and other places where migrants stay are not adapted to meet all needs.

“If we talk about temporary accommodation in municipalities where the conditions of schools that have not been used for decades have improved, more showers and toilets have appeared. Human needs are met, but those buildings are not adapted to people’s lives, “said K. Meidė.

According to her, the most worrying thing is next fall, because in some places of accommodation, schools, even the radiators are cut off.

“I really regret that buildings are being found that can be adapted quickly without much investment and today both people, women and children could be evicted, but there is great resistance from the self-government and the communities. I would really like to invite the communities: humanity must be the most important factor, ”said K. Meidė.

“There have been a lot of rumors that this is a hybrid war and the hybrid war soldiers are in Lithuania and they can understand the communities that they imagine it to be a young soldier from Iraq. When I am in those camps and I realize that half of the people are women, children, pregnant women, people with disabilities, I realize that the image is not so perfect, there are all kinds of stories, “he said.

According to K. Meidė, Lithuania should prepare for similar situations in which migrants will also have to be accommodated in the future.

“The world is changing in this way: climate change, that instability in countries that are or will be affected by war. The world will really move and I think Lithuania will definitely be the desired country where someone wants to come and find a better life, weighed not only for economic reasons but also for security, where it is safe to raise children, where, if I am an Iraqi Kurd, I know that my son will be able to receive some kind of education if I have a child with a disability in my hands, I know that he will be able to receive medical attention.

As a mother there, I probably would have taken advantage of any situation to take my son to a better country. I can understand those people, and we in Lithuania must be human and while we wait for the decisions, these people must live as people, ”said the head of the Red Cross.

Director of the Migration Department: Conditions are normal in these circumstances.

At the time, the Director of the Migration Department, Evelina Gudzinskaitė, says that the response to this crisis in Lithuania was fast enough and described the conditions in which illegal immigrants currently live as normal.

“I can really agree that they should not live in such conditions, we need to look for better housing conditions, but since I have been in public service for many years, I can compare it and say that the response to our bureaucratic mechanisms is very fast. I know that the Ministry of the Interior (MIA) is working very hard to get those people out of the tents right now, but it faces a lack of goodwill.

Clearly, sometimes our sexy residents place high expectations on such reception conditions. Our people also ate the food that the refugees gave together there. This is a normal lunch that we all buy for 4-5 euros and our mothers in hospitals do not have that lunch. It may not be necessary to generate too many demands. As much as possible is guaranteed, communication takes place.

Let us bear in mind that the State has not become used to facing such a wave and that the fact that we are already making real decisions in three months would be, I would say, a very quick response to this crisis. I also had to visit Greece, talk to Greek officials, the conditions that we ensure here are normal in such circumstances ”, said E. Gudzinskaitė at the fair.

Some 2,000 asylum applications were received

According to E. Gudzinskaitė, there are currently around two thousand asylum applications registered by people illegally crossing the border, of which about 200 have already been processed, but there are no grounds for granting asylum.

“Each asylum application is considered on an individual basis, but what we see so much in their stories is that their chances of staying here and receiving asylum are minimal. Actually 2-3% have a chance of getting that traffic. Everyone else’s asylum claims are simply unfounded, “said the director of the Migration Department.

According to her, asylum can only be granted if a person’s situation meets strict criteria.

‘It must be established that a person is persecuted in their State of origin by the State itself, by a State apparatus or by an entity acting on behalf of the State apparatus for certain convictions, activities or groups of the same person. Another option is that there is a war and the state simply cannot provide protection. The fact that there is corruption and a bad economic situation in that state is not the criteria for granting asylum, ”explained E. Gudzinskaitė.

“These people weren’t the worst off because they were able to raise that amount of money for the trip. So far, in no case, from what we have examined, have we not established that this person is some kind of political actor, “he said.

You will not be able to stay in camps all the time.

According to the director of the Migration Department, about 20 people have already been sent to their countries of origin, but the head of the Red Cross, Kristina Meidė, believes that there will not be many voluntary return migrants, it can be difficult to agree with the countries. like Iraq on the return of its citizens.

“If a country does not recognize that it is its national and does not issue documents, that return will certainly not be easy. A large part of them will remain in Lithuania,” said K. Meidė.

At the time, E. Gudzinskaitė states that during this crisis, the European Union reacts especially unanimously, so it is cute that the dialogue with Iraq will be quite active.

“They came here illegally, so if decisions are made to expel them, they will have to be implemented. Clearly, they will not be able to remain in the camps at all times without the right to leave the camp. There will come a time when they will simply be allowed to leave. If expulsion decisions are not made by then, it will be possible to apply to a court for an extension of the detention or a restriction of the freedom of movement. But at the last minute, if there are still people left who will not have the right to stay in Lithuania, but who will be fugitives, I could bet that they will simply leave Lithuania, ”predicted E. Gudzinskaitė.

However, he noted, even after leaving Lithuania, these people can be returned again.

“The future of those people in Europe is not very bright, because in any case, if they leave Lithuania and if they are in Germany, they will be returned to us again, because their fingerprints have been registered and such rotation will take place.,” Basically , Delfi TV, “said E. Gudzinskaitė.