Lithuania to extend temporary protection for Ukrainian refugees for another year

That’s according to the Lithuanian broadcaster LRT, Ukrinform reports.

The Interior Ministry of Lithuania has drafted a government resolution to extend the temporary protection period, currently set to expire in March 2025, until March 4, 2026. “The residence permits issued now are valid until March 4, 2025, but with the proposed amendment, permits could be issued with validity until March 4, 2026,” according to a document signed by Interior Minister Agnė Bilotaitė.

According to the Migration Department, 30 to 40 new applications for temporary residence permits are registered daily. Currently, over 44,300 people hold valid residence permits in Lithuania under the temporary protection scheme.

According to the Interior Minister, extending the deadline would reduce the administrative burden on Ukrainians by providing longer-term residence permits. It would also ease the Migration Department’s workload and facilitate the permit renewal process in the run-up to the March 2025 deadline, as some people would already have longer-term permits. This extension proposal is in line with an EU-wide decision made in June this year.

As reported, the EU activated the Temporary Protection Mechanism on March 4, 2022, shortly after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The mechanism offers displaced Ukrainians collective protection and grants them rights such as the right to stay, employment, housing, healthcare and education for their children.