A group of Lithuanian lawmakers has proposed banning family reunification for immigrant workers legally employed in the country, arguing that the policy change is necessary to prevent a large influx of nonworking migrants.
Ten members of the Seimas registered amendments on Wednesday to the Law on the Legal Status of Foreigners that would remove provisions allowing residence permits for family members of foreigners already living and working in Lithuania.
One of the bill’s authors, Vytautas Sinica of the far-right National Alliance party, said that without this change, Lithuania could see around 60,000 additional immigrants arrive starting next year through family reunification, placing a financial burden on taxpayers.
“By 2026, three years after the start of mass immigration, around 60,000 additional foreigners could come to Lithuania through family reunification. These would no longer be labour migrants but mostly nonworking persons,” Sinica said in a statement.
Group of MPs propose to ban immigrant workers’ family reunification in Lithuania
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