The Seimas (Parliament) of Lithuania has expanded the list of people who may be required to undergo a polygraph test. Now includes citizens of foreign countries, writes LRT.
People who obtain or renew a residence permit in Lithuania may also undergo a polygraph test. This can only happen if the Immigration Department has “reasonable suspicions” that the person may “pose a threat to the security of the state”.
If a polygraph is refused, the alien who is offered it will automatically be considered a “security risk.”
In addition to foreigners, the new rules expand the grounds for polygraph testing for officials in Lithuania itself. The authors of the amendments indicate that the purpose of the innovations is to strengthen measures to ensure national security, taking into account “the geopolitical situation, the activation of the intelligence services of hostile states and an increase in the number of recruitment cases.”
After the start of the large-scale Russian-Ukrainian war, Lithuania significantly reduced the list of reasons for obtaining a residence permit for citizens of Russia and Belarus – and, on the contrary, expanded the list of reasons for depriving it. Thus, in particular, it is now possible to lose a residence permit due to frequent trips to Russia or Belarus.