News and updates on human rights developments in Lithuania and Europe
On December 30th, 2025 The Supreme Administrative Court of Lithuania (LVAT) has issued a landmark ruling in which it found that State Border Guard Service (SBGS) officers acted unlawfully and violated the right of a Sri Lankan national to apply for international protection (asylum) in Lithuania when they pushed back a Sri Lankan national to …
In the context of Lithuania, as in other EU countries, the application of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights remains uneven. According to the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights 2024, EU countries’ efforts to apply the Charter are often fragmented, without clear structures and deadlines. National courts tend to apply the Charter when national …
Strategic litigation is an essential tool for achieving lasting legal change and shaping legal practice that benefits not only individuals, but also wider society. While the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union is a powerful tool to protect the rights of individuals in Lithuania, its potential as a tool for strategic litigation has …
Practical application of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights in Lithuania Read More »
The sixth annual report on the state of the rule of law in the EU, published by the Civil Liberties Union for Europe (Liberties), is the civil society network’s most comprehensive report on the rule of law in the EU to date. Produced by Human Rights Watch together with Liberties and other national members and …
Liberties’ annual Rule of Law Report on the European Union is published Read More »
Human Rights Monitoring Institute presents an analytical study “The Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union in Lithuania: Challenges, Prospects and Implications for Strategic Litigation”. The Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, which came into force in 2009, is a truly powerful instrument, bringing together not only the basic civil, political, economic …
At the end of September 2024, 114 million people around the world had fled their homes due to war, natural disasters and violence. 1.6 million people have been displaced by conflict and violence. 6 million more than in 2022. The new European Union Pact on Migration and Asylum, adopted on 14 May 2024, aims to …
New EU pact on migration and asylum spurs changes in Lithuania Read More »
With wars, conflicts, disease outbreaks and climate change disasters, human mobility has increased dramatically, and migration and integration have become key issues. Europe’s strategic location and higher standard of living make it an attractive continent for migration. The northern countries are at the top of the list for those seeking new opportunities or fleeing danger …
Challenges and good practices in migrant integration in Finland Read More »
In recent years, migration policy has become one of the most important issues both in Lithuania and across Europe. In the context of war, political persecution, climate and other crises, Lithuania, located at the external border of the European Union, is facing new challenges that require quick, effective and humane solutions. After extensive research and …
One of the fundamental provisions guaranteeing the protection of families is the right to family life, a universal value that the State must protect and promote. Some migrants and asylum seekers, fleeing or voluntarily leaving their home countries, are separated from their families, not knowing when they will see them. The Directive on the right …
Bridging the gap: migrants’ right to family reunification in Europe Read More »
Migration in Europe is a pressing problem, according to the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR). The war in Ukraine has highlighted the problem and forced European Union countries such as Finland and Lithuania to take swift action. Finland, with its progressive policies and long-standing focus on the effective integration of migrants and refugees, has often …
