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LITHUANIA
Illegal residence includes those who entered the territory illegally, those who arrived legally, but
have failed to comply with the conditions of entry stated in their visa, and those who have lived
in Lithuania since the Soviet era and have failed to regularize their residence status by becoming
citizens of Lithuania.
Migrants expelled on these grounds are requested to leave voluntarily within ten days. After that
time, a decision on deportation is taken by the Ministry of Interior (Migration Department) and
issued by a Court.
According to Article 20 of the Law on the Amendment of the Law on Refugee Status in the
Republic of Lithuania, adopted on 4 July 1995 (amended 29 June 2000):
Aliens who cannot enjoy temporary territorial asylum or have not been granted refugee status shall
be expelled from the Republic of Lithuania under the procedure established by the Republic of
Lithuania Law on The Legal Status of Aliens of the Republic of Lithuania.
Certain factors are considered in taking the decision to expel an individual from the country, the
most common being the migrant’s time of lawful residence in the country, his/her social relations
with the society and country, the consequences of the removal for other family members
who reside legally in Lithuania.
Administrative and judicial expulsion orders are to be executed immediately and within ten
days, if enforceable.
Detention
1800
1600
1400
1200
1000
800
600
400
200
0
273
119
FIGURE 1
NUMBER OF ILLEGAL MIGRANTS DETAINED
AT THE ALIENS REGISTRATION CENTRE
620
1354
1551
1382
495
261
100 107 114
1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002
Source: State Border Protection Service under the Ministry of Internal Affairs
(www.pasienis.lt).