Lithuania’s migration chief says foreign-worker quota system is working

Lithuania’s foreign-worker quota system has “proved itself,” according to Migration Department Director Indrė Gasperė, who said the country should avoid reopening the quota debate every year. The current rules cap the increase at 1.4% of the permanent population.

Gasperė said 38,000 residence permits renewed this year did not count against a new quota because they applied to migrants who had already arrived and remained in Lithuania. She argued that this should be considered when assessing how many foreign workers are actually entering the country.

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The quota system, I think, has proved itself, because it provides that the quota cannot be higher than 1.4% of all permanent residents.

For 2026, Lithuania approved a quota of 24,700 foreign workers, equivalent to 0.9% of the country’s 2.9 million permanent residents. The quota is based on labor-market monitoring, an assessment of current conditions and forecasts of future changes. Once the quota is exhausted, a work-based temporary residence permit can still be issued if the foreign worker receives at least 1.2 times the gross average wage, according to the information provided.

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We need proportionate migration control, rather than simply tightening the rules and assuming that this will protect us.

Gasperė said migration policy should focus not only on the number of workers arriving, but also on their qualifications. Lithuania has become a destination for workers from third countries, she said, yet relatively low wages compared with the European Union make it difficult to attract highly qualified and high-value workers.

She also warned that tighter controls should not become an end in themselves. Excessive restrictions could push businesses to relocate abroad, particularly amid difficulties in the international transport sector. “We need proportionate migration control, rather than simply tightening the rules and assuming that this will protect us,” Gasperė said.

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Our wages are low compared with the European Union, so we are not an attractive destination for highly qualified workers.