By Jurga Bakaitė, LRT.lt.
When many Lithuanians think about migrants from Belarus, they often picture long-haul truck drivers passing through the country. But new research suggests a different reality: thousands of Belarusians are settling in Lithuania with their families and planning to stay.
Researchers Alexander Chubrik and Natalia Shcharbina from the Lithuanian Social Research Centre say roughly 30% to 40% of Belarusians living in Lithuania arrived with family members and are seeking to build long-term lives there.
Their findings challenge the common perception that most Belarusians in Lithuania are temporary workers.
“We realised about two years ago that there is a misunderstanding in Lithuania about who these migrants actually are,” Chubrik said. “Many people assume they are here only for work and will leave soon. But in reality, many live here with their families and see their future in Lithuania.”
A community larger than expected
Around 60,000 Belarusians currently live in Lithuania. Many arrived after the contested 2020 presidential election in Belarus and the subsequent political repression by the government of Alexander Lukashenko.
Read more: LRT.LT
