Vilnius. The International organization for migration Vilnius office opens a new Migration Information Centre for foreigners "MICenter". 
"Our aim is to provide the widest possible range of services to foreigners coming to Lithuania. We are opening a centre where migrants will be able to receive legal, career guidance, psychological counselling, attend various activities and just spend time together. Since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, IOM Lithuania has been actively assisting Ukrainians, during which time we have identified the main needs and we intend to meet the expectations with this centre," says IOM Lithuania's Head of Office Eitvydas Bingelis.

"MICenter is a centre for migrants and refugees seeking a safe haven in Lithuania and the integration into society, and its services are focused on helping them to resolve the complex issues that foreigners face when they arrive in Lithuania. 
"We have long felt the need to open a one-stop shop to provide information and services - we have been providing advice to foreigners for many years, and were the first to provide advice to people fleeing the war in Ukraine. In Lithuania, a migrant often has to go to several different offices and institutions to get all the answers and to arrange the necessary documents. Although the number of new arrivals is increasing, the issues remain the same - travel documents, residence permits, employment, integration. The challenges that each migrant faces are important to us - some need legal advice or navigation in the labour market, while others need to make new friends and feel part of the local community", says Edita Urbanovič, IOM expert.

"At the moment, we are focusing on making services accessible to migrants, and some services are targeted at Ukrainians who have come to Lithuania to flee the war. Starting next year, we plan to increase services for migrants from other countries who have chosen Lithuania and want to become part of society," says Bingelis. 
The number of foreigners living in Lithuania this year exceeded the 200,000 mark for the first time in the country's history, with a total of 203,157 people from various foreign countries living in the country, according to statistics available to the Migration Department.

About IOM

This year IOM Lithuania celebrates its 25th anniversary. In Lithuania, IOM responds comprehensively to the needs of migrants, internally displaced persons, returnees from abroad and host communities by providing direct humanitarian assistance, organising various activities and otherwise assisting migrants.
IOM is an international intergovernmental organisation working with partners in the international community to help meet the organisational challenges of migration, provide expertise on migration issues, promote social and economic development and ensure the well-being of all migrants. IOM has offices in more than 100 countries and employs around 20,000 staff worldwide. In 2016, IOM officially joined the United Nations (UN) system and serves as the coordinator and secretariat of the UN Migration Network, which was established in 2019. IOM is headquartered in Geneva. 

 The MICenter's address is Jasinskio g. 16, Vilnius (2nd floor).