Vytenis Povilas Andriukaitis, European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, claims that migration quotas proposed by the EC were carefully coordinated and did not exceed member states' capabilities to accept refugees.
The European commissioner welcomed the decision to manage migration regardless whether it was from the Eastern Partnership countries or from conflict zones in the South. Andriukaitis told news agency ELTA that he truly supported the proposals as they were highly balanced.
Based on the EC's proposal, in two years 302 refugees from Italy and 201 from Greece could be relocated to Lithuania on temporary basis. When in Lithuania, their requests for permanent asylum in the EU would be considered or procedures of returning to the country of origin would be initiated.
According to Andriukaitis, it must be demonstrated that this is not an open door policy for migrants and in 3-4 years the issue of returning illegal immigrants home must be solved.
In addition, Lithuania was proposed to accept for permanent residence 207 refugees from conflict zones who were already granted asylum in the EU. Andriukaitis said the figure might change because it was unknown what the flow of immigration would be in the future. The commissioner claimed that the EC distributed quotas proportionately, taking into account economic and social situation. According to him, Lithuania could accept 1.03 percent of all refugees in the EU for permanent residence and 1.26 percent of migrants for temporary residence.
The European commissioner criticised those who spoke against the quota system. Andriukaitis questioned what Lithuania would do if 10,000 immigrants turned up from the Eastern Partnership countries. He said that the public opinion was being formed hypocritically, meanwhile solidarity, the fundamental principle of the EU, was being disregarded.
The EU's interior ministers will consider the EC's proposals and recommendations on migration in June. Discontent with quotas was expressed not only by Lithuania, but also by Latvia, Estonia, Hungary, Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Poland. Meanwhile the United Kingdom said it would not participate in the programme. Ireland and Denmark can also refuse to participate.
Minister of the Interior Saulius Skvernelis has said that Lithuania could accept 40-50 immigrants.
