
Seminar on Challenges for Central Asian Migrants in Lithuania
Vilnius, Lithuania: 18 September 2024 / Kaunas, Lithuania: 19 September 2024
On September 18, 2024, the Lithuanian Kazakh community “Nursaulė” organised a seminar called “Social Adaptation of Migrants from Central Asia in Lithuania” in the House of National Communities, Vilnius. This event aimed to identify and discuss the main problems faced by migrants from Central Asian countries in Lithuania. Increasing legal awareness among migrants, state language courses, and improved coordination among state institutions working on migrant integration were the major recommendations of the seminar.
Representatives of key stakeholders in the field of migrant integration , including the police, the Employment Service, the Red Cross, and the Lithuanian National Road Carriers Association “Linava,” discussed questions regarding Lithuanian legislation on migrant integration. The event was also attended by high ranking officials such as Vaiva Vėželytė-Pokladova and Irma Rabcevičienė, representatives of the Department of National Minorities, Gžegož Miloševič, Director of the House of National Communities, and H.E. Timur Urazayev, the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Kazakhstan in Lithuania. The ambassador stressed the importance of cross-border cooperation and the activities of the Kazakh community in Lithuania in defending migrant rights. The event highlighted the need for state language courses and regular meetings with representatives of state institutions.
“We work with migrants from Central Asia to raise their legal awareness and understanding of Lithuanian laws affecting them. Sometimes, the Lithuanian employment contract states one wage amount, while the Russian translation states another. We hire lawyers to defend the rights of migrants but we can also turn to the European Parliament for legal remedies if necessary,” says Gulmira Mussayeva, Head of the Lithuanian Kazakh community “Nursaulė”.
On 19 September, a follow-up seminar for Lithuanian employers took place in Kaunas, focusing on Kyrgyz migrants. Belek Aidarov, Chairman of the Kyrgyz community, shared insights into Kyrgyz cultural dynamics, including workplace relationships between men and women, strategies for motivating Kyrgyz employees, addressed how Islamic practices influence workplace behavior, and encouraged intercultural trainings among employees.
These events highlighted the importance of cultural understanding, legal awareness, and proactive engagement in fostering successful integration for Central Asian migrants in Lithuania.
MARIO is funded by the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values Programme (2021-27) of the European Union (ref: 101091387).
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