The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Lithuania has taken action to cancel the temporary residence permit previously granted to Aliaksandras Macijevičiis, a Belarusian citizen. The decision was based on the determination that Macijevičius does not meet the eligibility criteria for obtaining a temporary residence permit within the Republic of Lithuania.
The Ministry also announced that the Department of State Security has been informed about the case of the Belarusian citizen, and if investigations reveal any potential threat Macijevičius poses to the security of the state, the authorities will consider imposing a ban on his entry into Lithuania.
It has been revealed that Macijevičius first entered Lithuania by crossing the internal border of the European Union through Poland, using a national visa from another EU member state. The Ministry of Internal Affairs also stated that before issuing or changing a residence permit in the Republic of Lithuania, the Migration Department consults with the competent authorities of the state.
In response to the situation, the Ministry has instructed the State Border Guard Service to increase their control of Belarusian citizens transiting through the state border of Lithuania. Additionally, the Migration Department has been instructed to conduct more thorough assessments of Belarusian citizens who have received or applied for a temporary residence permit within the Republic of Lithuania for employment reasons in order to strengthen national security considerations.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Lithuania also intends to prolong the existing visa issuance and screening restrictions applicable to Russian and Belarusian citizens entering the country until May. After this period, the Ministry is seeking to extend the measures for an additional year until 2025 and has proposed to tighten some restrictions, especially for Belarusian citizens.
Under the newly introduced proposal, Belarusian citizens entering Lithuania with a Schengen visa will be subject to a comprehensive risk assessment. The Lithuanian authorities are set to conduct thorough checks on Belarusians entering the country to assess whether these individuals pose potential threats to Lithuania’s internal security, public order, and international relations. These measures are intended to address the evolving security situation and maintain the safety and integrity of Lithuania’s borders.
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