The Red Cross has warned that Lithuania’s Migration Department is refusing to extend residence permits for some Ukrainians without valid biometric passports, considering it unlawful.
However, the Migration Department said that it received each request on a case-by-case basis, Schengen.News reports.
The Chairman of the Committee on Human Rights, MP Laurynas Šedvydis, said the Red Cross informed the committee of an increasing number of Ukrainians under temporary protection, who seek legal advice and assistance.
According to Ukrainians, the Migration Department of Lithuania refuses to consider their applications to obtain or renew temporary residence permits just because they do not have valid passports.
Under European Union law, countries must issue residence permits to people under temporary protection. National law also states that Schengen requirements do not apply to persons under temporary protection, specifically noting that travel document requirements do not apply to them upon arrival.
Ukrainians Under Temporary Protection Don’t Need Valid Documents
Lithuania’s Interior Minister, Alicija Ščerbaitė said that Ukrainians under temporary protection are not required to obtain valid documents, according to a report from LRT.
Interior Minister Alicija Ščerbaitė stressed that Ukrainians under temporary protection are not required to have valid documents.
According to Ščerbaitė, the Red Cross gave information citing 31 cases. The Minister said that the committee supported a proposal from the Interior Ministry to consider updating the residence permit rules to explicitly state that “all Ukrainian nationals granted temporary protection should be issued residence permits for the entire protection period without the requirement to present a valid travel document”.
Lithuania Extended Temporary Protection to Ukrainians Until March 2026
Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the European Union activated the Temporary Protection Directive to offer quick assistance to people fleeing the war in Ukraine.
The figures from the statistical office of the EU, Eurostat, revealed that over 4.2 million non-EU nationals who fled Ukraine due to the Russian invasion, had temporary protection status in the EU.
The same source revealed that the most significant increase in the number of beneficiaries was registered in Germany (11,915) , Czechia (5,820) and Poland (4,045).
Lithuania has also opened its doors to a large number of refugees since the beginning of the war in Ukraine. Last year, Lithuania’s Department of Migration said that temporary protection for Ukrainian refugees was extended until March 4, 2026.
