Labour Migration of Third-Country Nationals to Lithuania: Recent Trends and Social Policy Responses

Abstract

The purpose of the paper is to discuss recent immigration trends, and the policies that have been adopted by the state to facilitate the process of the integration of immigrants and their access to the labour market. The first part of the paper discusses theoretical aspects of migration, and labour migration in particular. The second part of the paper is aimed at disclosing current immigration trends among third-country nationals in Lithuania. Labour migration and the migration policy framework in Lithuania are analysed, as are integration policies. The research results reveal that Lithuania lacks an effective migrant integration policy. The evaluation of the migration policy index allows us to conclude that the policy of the integration of immigrants is the area of migration policy that needs to be improved the most in Lithuania. Lithuania’s score is lower than the average MIPEX country score, and together with Latvia it is one of the lowest in Central and East European countries. Lithuania’s approach to integration is classified by MIPEX as equality on paper. While immigrants enjoy basic rights and protection in Lithuania, they do not enjoy equal opportunities to participate in society.