RUSSIAN ASYLUM SEEKERS IN THE BALTIC STATES: TO BE REPUDIATED OR TO BE ACCEPTED

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RUSSIAN ASYLUM SEEKERS IN THE BALTIC STATES
TO BE REPUDIATED OR TO BE ACCEPTED?

• Jurgita Keryte
• Intitute of Europe
• Kaunas University of Technology
• 2005 12 12-13, Manchester

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Structure of the presentation
Asylum seekers problem international and
national aspects
Situation in Baltic states
Asylum seekers incorporation process
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MIGRATION

• Migration isnt phenomenon of XX century, but
  in this century its character changed, the flows
  intensified.
• The main question for receiving country how to
  divide the persons, which can live, work in
  country and how is possible to control these
  process.

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Asylum seekers and refugees

• Problem is regulated in international level as
  well as in the national level.
• The important documents in international
  level
• The 1951 Convention Relating to the Status
  of Refugees
• The 1967 Protocol relating to the Status of
  Refugees

LAW ACTS IN NATIONAL LEVEL
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MAP
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Situation in LithuaniaNumber of applications to
gain the asylum in Lithuania (1997 - 2003)
Source Lithuanian migration department data.
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Asylum seekers according citizenship in Lithuania
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Situation in LATVIA
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A comparison of the number of asylum seekers in
Estonia and other member states
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• The main legal acts connected with asylum
  seekers and refugees in Lithuania are these
• 1995 and 2000 enacted two acts due legal
  status of refugees.
• 2004 was enacted law ON THE LEGAL STATUS OF
  ALIENS

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ESTONIA

• All matters related to refugees in Estonia
  are regulated by the Refugees Act. The task of
  the Ministry of Social Affairs is the reception
  of asylum applicants and organising the
  settlement of refugees in local municipalities.
• LATVIA
• In 1997 Latvia joined 1951 Convention Relating to
  the Status of
• Refugees and its 1967 Protocol Relating to the
  Status of Refugees, and
• adopted the Law on Asylum seekers and Refugees in
  Republic of
• Latvia (in force since July 1997).
• March 2002 the Asylum Law was adopted (in force
  since September
• 2002).
• October 2002 the Immigration Law was adopted
  (in force since May
• 2003).

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INCORPORATION???

Process of migrants, in particular, refugees
incorporation, is complex and multi-stage. State
should ensure the primary financial support, to
give the possibility to participate in work
market as well as in process of language
teaching, etc. The success of incorporation
process depends on how this area is regulated by
the legislation, how in this process participate
organizations, associations, which are conducive
to social and cultural integration.
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PORTES MODEL
GOVERNMENTS POLICY
Successful migrants incorporation
SOCIETY AND PUBLIC OPINION
CHARACTER OF IMMIGRANTS
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The main problems

• 1)Refugees incorporation in society
• 2)Refugees communications with society
• 3) The refugees attitude towards Baltic region
  as the transit states.

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The biggest problem that refugees see Lithuania
as the intermediate station to west countries.
The analyse of refugees goals of teaching shows
that
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Attitude to migrants in Lithuanian society
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• Despite some concrete achievements, a number
• of European Union member States in Central
• Europe and the Baltic States are still in the
  pro-
• cess of strengthening their asylum systems and
• the institutions dealing with asylum remain weak.