Lithuania has announced plans to close its external visa service center in Tajikistan, citing a sharp increase in irregular migration from the Central Asian country, according to Lithuanian public broadcaster LRT.
The decision comes at the initiative of Lithuania's Migration Department, which reported that approximately 6,250 Tajik citizens were residing in Lithuania with valid temporary residence permits as of early June. This marks a nearly fivefold increase over the past two years.
Evelina Gudzinskaite, head of the Migration Department, explained that many Tajik nationals remain in Lithuania illegally after their temporary residence permits expire.
“If we look at irregular migration statistics, the percentage of Tajik citizens who overstay and require formal deportation orders is higher than that of, for example, Uzbek nationals,” Gudzinskaite noted.
She also pointed out that some Tajik nationals have attempted to illegally cross Lithuania’s border from Belarus, further raising concerns.
Currently, Lithuania operates 31 external service centers abroad to handle residence permit applications, down from 34 last year. Centers in Lebanon, Jordan, and Sri Lanka have already been closed as part of this review.
Lithuania does not have an embassy in Tajikistan. Consular and diplomatic services for Tajik citizens are handled by the Lithuanian Embassy in Kazakhstan. Applicants in Tajikistan currently use the VFS Global visa center in Dushanbe, the embassy’s official partner, to apply for visas and residence permits.
