Migration: is it a threat to the security of the Republic of Lithuania?

Abstract

From the very beginning, human beings have been looking for a safe and secure place for not only themselves but also their families and their communities. It is an essential need throughout one’s lifetime. Various causes, from drought to war, force people to leave their native country. For example, one factor pushing Belarusians to leave their native land in 2021–2022 was the fraudulent election of 2020 and the repressions against participants of demonstrations. Similarly, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, beginning on 24 February 2022, has caused a massive influx of refu gees from Ukraine into other countries, including the Baltic countries. It has brought new challenges to the national security of the Republic of Lithuania. This paper aims to analyse these two events, which are closely intertwined, from migration and national security points of view.