lithuania | Seimas Ombudsperson had a meeting with representatives of Amnesty International on the topic of irregular migration through Belarus

On 13 September, the investigators of Amnesty International visited the Seimas Ombudspersons’ Office and met with the Seimas Ombudsperson Erika Leonaitė and the Advisor of the Human Rights Division Goda Jurevičiūtė.

During the meeting, the changes that took place after publishing the Amnesty International Report in June this year on the response of Lithuanian institutions to the challenges posed by irregular migration through the border of Belarus were discussed.

During the meeting, the representatives of Amnesty International were particularly interested in the current situation in places of accommodation for migrants and asylum seekers, integration opportunities and planned changes in legal regulation.

The Seimas Ombudsperson drew attention to both the positive changes in the field of material accommodation conditions and the practical challenges faced by individuals in order to use the right to work. During the meeting, a lot of attention was also paid to the Draft Amendment to the Republic of Lithuania Law on the State Border and the Guard Thereof, which aims to legalize “push backs” by law.

In the assessment of the Seimas Ombudsperson, the prepared draft is not compatible with the Judgement C-72/22 PPU of the Court of Justice of the European Union, which states that the legal norms of a Member State pursuant to which, in the event of a declaration of a state of war or a state of emergency or a declaration of an emergency due to a mass influx of foreigners, illegally staying third-country nationals are de facto denied the opportunity to apply for asylum, are prohibited.

Source: Office of the Seimas Ombudsperson, Lithuania