Lithuania could accept up to 30,000 Ukrainians, as Europe gears up for a new wave of refugees from Ukraine, Lithuanian Social Security and Labour Minister Monika Navickiene has said.
“We think that we would be ready to receive about 6,000 to 8,000 people right now if they were to cross the Lithuanian border. Certain schools and other buildings that are not being used by municipalities are ready, and they are adapted and equipped,” Navickiene told reporters on December 7.
In her words, in case of higher demand and if more accommodation places are added, Lithuania would be able to accommodate up to 30,000 people “in a rather short period of time”.
“Such capacity would probably also include the arenas that we could quickly adapt to accommodate the refugees,” Navickiene said. “If more people arrived, it would certainly be more problematic to accommodate them all.”
According to the Social Security and Labour Ministry, more than 71,000 Ukrainians have arrived in Lithuania so far. Around 100 refugees are currently arriving in Lithuania every week. (LRT/Business World Magazine)