The latest data on migration by late March this year from this specialized department indicate that in Lithuania there are 74,000 Ukrainians, 63,000 Belarusians, and over 15,000 Russians. It is notable that the number of Ukrainians dramatically declined in comparison to the beginning of the year – there were 86,000 of them in January.
Panelist Dr. Monika Frėjutė-Rakauskienė, the head of the Department of Ethnic Studies at the Institute of Sociology provided data on the local population's perception of living in the neighborhood of migrants from these three groups, as well as people with mental disabilities, homosexuals and Muslims. The survey was conducted in the period 16-27 November 2023.
“Social distance can be seen in relation to four groups: people with mental disabilities, homosexuals, Muslims and migrants from Russia. A slightly smaller yet still significant distance is observed in relation to other groups, with the smallest social distance seen in relation to migrants from Ukraine. Additionally, when discussing the three groups of migrants from Belarus, Russia, and Ukraine, the attitudes of the residents reflect, I would say, the geopolitical aspect or situation. Migrants from Russia are perceived as representatives of the aggressor country, whereas migrants from Belarus and especially Ukraine are viewed more favorably,” the panelist noted.
Dr. Frėjutė-Rakauskienė underlined that 22% of respondents said that they do not want to live in the neighborhood with people who do not speak Lithuanian.
“And I would say that such results are related to the Russian language and the fact that Russians started [the] war in Ukraine, alongside the decreasing prestige of the Russian language in society. Additionally, there are more and more public discussions about the attitudes of the population towards the increased use of the Russian language in the public sphere, including the service sector, for example, taxi drivers. Moreover, in everyday situations, this trend is partly due to the increased number of migrants from Ukraine, Belarus, and Russia. Consequently, the use of Russian as a language of conversation is becoming more common,” the sociology researcher concluded.
This migration crisis was initiated by Russia’s war against Ukraine, associate professor Yevhen Magda at Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute, the National Technical University underscores.
“I would like to point out that the Russian-Ukrainian war is destroying not only Ukraine, it destroys the status of Russian language as a universal language of communication,” said Yevhen Magda.
The associate professor added that he could switch into Russian to speak at any moment, that this is not an issue, but he doesn’t “want to do that” anymore, as his country was invaded by Russian occupiers.
He also reflected why in his opinion Ukrainians are favored more in Lithuania, “Unlike Russia and Belarus, only Ukraine does not have a common border with Lithuania. However, if we can judge the relationship, the Ukrainian-Lithuanian relationship right now seems less problematic, because we have a common history of the great Duchy of Lithuania, but we don't have the contemporary challenges, smuggling territories, the issues regarding the territories. We are reminding ex-spouses that have separated peacefully and now can communicate with one another peacefully. And it is a natural process for us, while Russia is with those imperial things. And in this case with Belarus of Lukashenko, the official one, by their behavior they're creating challenges to Lithuania”.
Another panelist, sociologist Egor Burtsev, who is originally from Russia, believes that the “imperial mentality” of Russians should be opposed using democratic principles.
“Imperial mentality can be juxtaposed with the context of living in a country where we no longer need to adopt such a mentality. Here, we can simply live as citizens, with a clear understanding and respect for human rights that are not infringed upon. We can live without fear of persecution for our freedom,” stressed Egor Burtsev.
Dr. Roza Turarbekova, Honorary Fellow of Institute for Global and Sustainable Development, University of Warwick, who is originally from Kazakhstan, shared her experience of migration to Belarus, life in Germany and adaptation in Lithuania.
She indicated that adaptation to the local culture is a psychological challenge.
“I think this is a question that we're giving ourselves and we have to answer it not having in mind that it's Lithuanian language and that means that we're going to stay here,” said Dr. Turarbekova.
At the same time she stresses that the Lithuanian language should be learned “in order to communicate here and all in all feel a part of this society”.
“I haven't yet started learning it, but I do accept this challenge and I do want to learn Lithuanian language,” Dr. Roza Turarbekova observed.
“And it would be, of course, very nice if we had more mutual professional events, for example, public events, because a lot of events can be held. But for me personally, I set it as a task for myself to learn Lithuanian history, to learn the origins of a modern Lithuanian state,” the panelist concluded.
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