Lithuania now able to select migrants accepted under EU relocation scheme

Lithuania will be able to choose which migrants it accepts under the European Union’s relocation mechanism, officials said Friday.

“We are now at a stage where we can select the foreigners who will arrive in Lithuania,” Deputy Interior Minister Alicija Scerbaite told public broadcaster LRT.

She said Lithuanian authorities would ensure that accepted migrants meet national security criteria, adding that the government is considering prioritizing families over single individuals.

“We believe it would be best for families to arrive,” she said, adding that larger families could help Lithuania meet its assigned quota more quickly.

Under the EU solidarity mechanism, Lithuania plans to accept 58 migrants currently in the Greek Cypriot Administration and pay around €1.4 million (about $1.6 million) for the portion of migrants it does not take in.

The Lithuanian government approved the decision last December based on the EU Migration and Asylum Pact adopted in 2024.

Scerbaite said the integration of incoming migrants would be financed by the European Commission.

She said the average cost of integrating one foreigner in Lithuania is expected to be around €12,000.

Interior Minister Vladislavas Kondratovicius said the number of migrants accepted under the mechanism would be reviewed annually.

He also said the first migrants under the scheme are expected to arrive in Lithuania next year.

The EU solidarity mechanism requires member states to share the migration burden with countries that serve as primary entry points into the bloc.

Data from Lithuania’s Migration Department shows that more than 218,000 foreigners held valid residence permits in the Baltic country as of May.