Increasingly distant neighbours: Lithuania towards Belarusians
Increasingly distant neighbours: Lithuania towards Belarusians

Author(s): Joanna Hyndle-Hussein
Subject(s): Politics, Governance, Geopolitics
Published by: OSW Ośrodek Studiów Wschodnich im. Marka Karpia
Keywords: Alyaksandr Lukashenka; Belarus
Summary/Abstract: In the last three years Belarusians have become the fastest growing group of foreigners in Lithuania. At present, the Belarusian diaspora in this country numbers some 61,000 people, 80 percent of whom have settled there primarily for economic reasons: they have found jobs mainly in the construction and logistics sectors, and also set up their own businesses. It is increasingly rare for them to arrive in Lithuania on the so-called humanitarian visas, which can be obtained by those whom the regime of Alyaksandr Lukashenka has persecuted; 700 such visas have been issued so far. Although Belarusians are playing an important role by filling gaps in the Lithuanian labour market, their influx has sparked growing concerns among Lithuanian society. The country’s secret services have warned that the new arrivals may include people infiltrated by Russian and Belarusian intelligence services, which poses a potential threat to national security.

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