War refugees need to be better integrated

Lithuanian institutions have taken all the necessary measures to accept war refugees from Ukraine, but they still need to strengthen the coordination of the integration process, including the labour market and education system. These are the findings of national auditors in the audit ‘Assistance to refugees and their social integration’, the National Audit Office said in a press release.

Institutions involved in the integration of refugees have faced a challenge in accepting them: between 2020 and 2022, 869 people were granted asylum, the number of asylum seekers increased by 2.6 times, and 68,352 war refugees from Ukraine received temporary protection in 2022.

“Refugees receive social support, healthcare and education services. However, we found a lack of cooperation between the state, municipalities and non-governmental organisations, especially greater involvement of local governments in ensuring proper reception of refugees. Some municipalities have managed to organise the process efficiently, such as Jonava municipality, which has a one-stop shop for asylum seekers and Ukrainians,” said Rasa Rakauskienė, audit team leader.