In Lithuania, there are proposals to close the visa center in Tajikistan

The authorities of Lithuania no longer want to issue visas to citizens of Tajikistan due to numerous violations of residence rules in the country.

The Migration Department of Lithuania proposes to close the external service center in Tajikistan that accepts applications for temporary residence permits (TRP) in Lithuania, Lithuanian National Radio and Television reported on Wednesday.

The head of the Migration Department of Lithuania, Evelina Gudzinskaite, told Lithuanian radio that after the expiration of their temporary residence permits, Tajik citizens often remain in Lithuania illegally.

According to the department, as of early June, approximately 6,250 citizens of Tajikistan held residence permits in Lithuania.

Over the past two years, the number of migrants from Tajikistan has increased almost fivefold.

“If we look at the data on illegal migration, the number of Tajik citizens who do not leave on time and need to be issued exit orders, that is, return decisions, is proportionally higher than, for example, that of Uzbeks,” she said.

According to Gudzinskaite, Tajik citizens also periodically appear at the border between Belarus and Lithuania and attempt to illegally enter the country.

Lithuania is closing its visa center amid increasing difficulties faced by Tajik migrants in Russia, including a rise in mass detentions and deportations from Russia over the past year. Experts believe that due to Russia’s anti-migration policies, Tajik migrants are seeking new labor migration routes, including to European countries.