It is estimated that more than 200 000 foreigners currently live in Lithuania.  The trend is that more and more people are choosing Lithuania as a destination country, making it a country of immigration. 

According to a Spinter survey commissioned by the Vilnius Office of the International Organisation for Migration (IOM Lithuania), Ukrainians are the most favourably viewed in Lithuania with a score of 8 out of 10, while labour migrants from Central Asia are less favourably viewed with 5, Migrants from Belarus have a similar rating of 2 points - 5.15, migrants from the Middle East (Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran) are in fourth place - 4.43, migrants who tried to enter Lithuania through Belarus have the lowest rating in Lithuanian society - 4.13.

"Such indicators are undoubtedly due to the geopolitical situation and cultural differences and similarities. Ukrainians came to Lithuania to flee the war and to save themselves and their relatives, and they are making a lot of efforts to integrate more into Lithuania.  Last year alone, Ukrainians paid 40 million in taxes while working. The perception of migrants from other countries is more often negative than positive, but Lithuania is becoming a destination country, and while a few years ago it was only the nationals who were leaving our country, now it is more and more often the citizens of less affluent countries who are coming here," says Eitvydas Bingelis, Head of the IOM Lithuania.

The study shows that the most important criteria for assessing Ukrainian war refugees are their willingness to work and to support themselves and their families. It is also expected that those who come to Lithuania, both Ukrainians and citizens of other countries, will learn at least a minimum of the Lithuanian language and get acquainted with traditions and culture. The desire of newcomers to live on benefits is particularly negative.

The majority (77%) of the country's population has encountered migrants from third countries in Lithuania in the last 2 years: 26% have had direct contact with them, 51% have noticed them but have not had any personal contact.  The vast majority (89%) of those who have encountered migrants from third countries have encountered war refugees from Ukraine. A third (33%) encountered Belarusian migrants. A quarter (24%) encountered labour migrants from Central Asia. 18% faced migrants from the Middle East. 12% have encountered migrants entering Lithuania through the Lithuanian-Belarusian border in 2021. For 29% of the survey participants, the attitude has worsened, while for slightly more than half (53%) it has remained the same.

"Migrants' judgement is influenced by a wide range of situations, from personal experiences to general norms of behaviour in society. If newcomers are willing to integrate and make an effort, then their attitude is more favourable. To facilitate integration, IOM Lithuania has opened a Migration Information Centre in MICenter to provide free advice to migrants. As Lithuania is becoming a destination country, we need to take steps to integrate those who arrive into our society," says Mr Bingelis.

Anyanya Udongwo, a well-known singer in Lithuania, says that the most important thing is to know the language. "If you want to integrate successfully in the country you are coming to, you need to know the language, and in Lithuania we need to create the conditions for people to take courses. Another aspect that I would like to see to make integration in Lithuania more successful is digital residence permits, which would make it easier to use documents", says the singer, who was born and raised in Nigeria, but also calls Ukraine, where he spent several years, home. When the war broke out in Ukraine, Anynya had to flee Buche, where he witnessed first-hand the painful consequences of the tragedy. Lithuania became the first country where Anyanya dared to sing again after the war.

Ana, a Ukrainian who came to Lithuania a year ago, speaks similarly to Anyanya. Like many, she had originally planned to stay for only a few months, but life took a different turn and she plans to stay in Lithuania, at least for now.  She also stresses that if you want to stay longer, knowledge of the language and of the traditions and culture is essential. "When we came to Lithuania, it is clear that we didn't know a single word of Lithuanian, we used to speak English and Russian. Now I have learnt the basic phrases, so I can communicate more easily and it has become easier at work," says Ana. She is happy that she and her family were lucky enough to meet a lot of good people in Lithuania who helped her a lot in the first months after arriving in Vilnius.

IOM Lithuania opened the Migration Information Centre "MICenter" at the end of October, which will host the Migrants' Day Fair on Monday. Vendors from a wide range of countries have signed up: from Colombia, Argentina, Ukraine, Ethiopia, the Philippines, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Iran and Lithuania. 

The International Organisation for Migration, a member of the United Nations system, is the largest international intergovernmental organisation at the forefront of migration. It has been active in Lithuania since 1998.