The number of Ukrainian war refugees living in Lithuania remained almost unchanged during the year: the same number of persons arrive and leave
The Migration Department finished accepting the applications of Ukrainian war refugees to change their temporary residence permits in Lithuania and specified the total number of such persons in the country.
As of 4 March, a total of 41,422 Ukrainian war refugees have temporary residence permits issued on the basis of temporary protection in our country. Moreover, this number will increase slightly in the near future, as approximately 1,200 more applications submitted in the last weeks of February are currently being processed.
After comparing these indicators with last year’s statistical information, it can be concluded that the number of Ukrainian war refugees in our country has stabilized.
In March of last year, when the Migration Department also completed the annual change of such documents, a total of 41,933 Ukrainian war refugees had valid temporary residence permits on the basis of temporary protection.
According to the available data, in 2023 more than 12,000 Ukrainian war refugees newly arrived in Lithuania and received temporary residence permits on the basis of temporary protection for the first time.
Thus, the almost unchanged number of valid temporary residence permits, after the completion of their change procedures, shows that almost as many Ukrainian war refugees newly arrived in our country during the year as left Lithuania and no longer wanted to extend the temporary protection applied to them.
It is believed that some of those who left returned to their country of origin or chose to live in other European countries.
The European Union activated the temporary protection mechanism for Ukrainian war refugees for a year on 4 March 2022, and then extended it twice: first until 2024, then until March 2025.
It is on this basis that temporary residence permits are issued to Ukrainian citizens and their family members who fled to Lithuania due to Russian aggression.
Ukrainian war refugees who have not changed their temporary residence permits in Lithuania by March 4 may have problems receiving some health services, applying for social benefits, child benefits, applying for housing heating costs, hot or cold water compensation, etc.
From now on, such persons in the Lithuanian migration information system MIGRIS will not have to fill out an application for a change, but an application for issuing a new digital temporary residence permit on the basis of temporary protection. After completing the application online, they will be required to book a visit at the Migration Department, arrive and provide biometric data.
A digital residence permit printed or saved on a smart device confirms the legal status of its owner in Lithuania and, with a valid citizen’s passport, gives the right to travel to other countries of the Schengen area.