Lithuania expels 22 Belarusian nationals on national security grounds
Lithuania's State Security Department (VSD) said on Monday, September 7, that 22 Belarusian nationals who worked for a technology company in Lithuania had been deemed a threat to national security and expelled from the country.
Lithuania has expelled 22 Belarusian nationals citing national security concerns. The individuals were stripped of their temporary residence permits and barred from returning to Lithuania. In addition, all 22 have been permanently banned from entering the Schengen area, according to the VSD news agency. The Belarusian citizens were employed by a company that worked on a project for the European Union Agency for the Space Program (EUSPA) and was found guilty of fraudulently obtaining nearly 500,000 euros.
An investigation was conducted by the European Public Prosecutor's Office in collaboration with Lithuania's Financial Crime Investigation Service. The investigation revealed that the company had concealed ties to the Russian and Belarusian military industries. Earlier this week, the Vilnius Regional Court convicted two Belarusian citizens of fraud involving nearly 500,000 euros.
The project aimed to develop high-precision satellite navigation receivers for use in agriculture, including farm machinery control and precision farming support. The project's total budget exceeded 1 million euros, with EUSPA contributing over 745,000 euros. However, the company actually received 447,272 euros.
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