Lithuania has begun revoking residence permits of Russian nationals who are deemed to have “disloyal views”, such as who is the rightful government of Crimea.
Over 100 Russians have had their residency permits removed by Lithuanian authorities, with some being deemed as security threats, and others for holding the wrong viewpoint according to the former Soviet state.
According to figures provided to Euronews by Lithuania’s Migration Department, some 38 Russian nationals had their residency revoked last year and a further 97 had their ability to stay in the country removed this year, meaning that 135 have been stripped of residency since the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The Migration Department reportedly sent out surveys to Russian citizens to determine their views about their home country and the war in Ukraine, including whether they believe Ukraine is the rightful owner of the Crimean Peninsula, which was annexed by Moscow in 2014. While the Black Sea region is home to many ethnic Russians, the annexation was deemed illegal and Kyiv is still intent on reclaiming the territory.
The department said that the country can revoke the residency rights of foreigners if they commit a “very serious crime” or “pose a threat to state security”.
While some Russians may still hold sympathies for the homeland, many of the Russians fleeing to countries such as Lithuania are doing so over objections to the Putin government, the war in Ukraine, and the possibility of being conscripted into the war. Over the past year, the number of Russians applying for residence permits in Lithuania doubled to nearly 4,000.
Lithuania’s State Security Department (VSD) announced on Friday that it had deported a Russian citizen named Vladimir Vodo, who describes himself as a freelance journalist.
The VSD said that his removal was justified given the “current geopolitical situation” and that he allegedly holds “disloyal views towards Lithuania, disseminates pro-Russian propaganda in social media and had contacts with Russian and Belarusian intelligence services.”