Refugee resettlement deadline extended for over 1.5 years

The Lithuanian government has extended until late June 2021 the deadline for meeting the country's commitment to take in over 1,000 refugees.

Lithuania pledged in 2015 to accept 1,105 refugees under the EU's refugee relocation mechanism, but later the quota was reduced to 1,077, with October 31, 2019 set as the deadline.

Only 490 people have been relocated to date, and many of them have left for other EU member states.

"The deadline is set taking into account the timetable set out in the Commission Implementing Regulation and other implementing conditions related to the mechanism for allocating resources for the EU Resettlement Program," according to the government resolution.