Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker See what triggers an intervention and how supply and logistics allow our teams to respond quickly Discover our governance and what it means to be an association Find a quick visual guide to our offices around the world Read through our annual financial and activity reports and find out about where our funds come from and how they are spent and plans on how we address issues like racism and reduce our carbon footprint ensuring our actions align with the highest ethical standards Visit this section to get in touch with our offices around the world Médecins Sans Frontières brings medical humanitarian assistance to victims of conflict and where MSF teams respond to different diseases around the world and the challenges we face in providing treatment Learn about the different contexts and situations in which MSF teams respond to provide care including war and natural disaster settings and how and why we adapt our activities to each Learn about our response and our work in depth on specific themes and events Médecins Sans Frontières provides medical humanitarian assistance to save lives and ease the suffering of people in crisis situations We set up the MSF Access Campaign in 1999 to push for access to diagnostic tests and vaccines for people in our programmes and beyond CRASH conducts and directs studies and analysis of MSF actions They participate in internal training sessions and assessment missions in the field UREPH (or Research Unit) aims to improve the way MSF projects are implemented in the field and to participate in critical thinking on humanitarian and medical action ARHP documents and reflects on the operational challenges and dilemmas faced by the MSF field teams MSF Analysis intends to stimulate reflection and debate on humanitarian topics organised around the themes of migration health policy and the environment in which aid operates This logistical and supply centre in Brussels provides storage of and delivers medical equipment logistics and drugs for international purchases for MSF missions This supply and logistics centre in Bordeaux provides warehousing and delivery of medical equipment This logistical centre in Amsterdam purchases water-processing facilities and nutritional supplements BRAMU specialises in neglected tropical diseases This medical unit is based in Rio de Janeiro Our medical guidelines are based on scientific data collected from MSF’s experiences other renowned international medical institutions Providing epidemiological expertise to underpin our operations conducting research and training to support our goal of providing medical aid in areas where people are affected by conflict Evaluation Units have been established in Vienna assessing the potential and limitations of medical humanitarian action thereby enhancing the effectiveness of our medical humanitarian work MSF works with LGBTQI+ populations in many settings over the last 25-30 years LGBTQI+ people face healthcare disparities with limited access to care and higher disease rates than the general population The Luxembourg Operational Research (LuxOR) unit coordinates field research projects and operational research training and provides support for documentation activities and routine data collection The Intersectional Benchmarking Unit collects and analyses data about local labour markets in all locations where MSF employs people To upskill and provide training to locally-hired MSF staff in several countries MSF has created the MSF Academy for Healthcare and rules of humanitarian law in accessible and reader-friendly alphabetical entries The MSF Paediatric Days is an event for paediatric field staff policy makers and academia to exchange ideas inspire and share frontline research to advance urgent paediatric issues of direct concern for the humanitarian field The MSF Foundation aims to create a fertile arena for logistics and medical knowledge-sharing to meet the needs of MSF and the humanitarian sector as a whole non-profit drug research and development organisation that is developing new treatments for neglected diseases founded in 2003 by seven organisations from around the world Our digital portal dedicated to sharing the latest medical evidence from our humanitarian activities around the globe Noma is a preventable and treatable neglected disease but 90 per cent of people will die within the first two weeks of infection if they do not receive treatment The TIC is aiming to change how MSF works to better meet the evolving needs of our patients MSF's telemedicine hub aims to overcome geographic barriers for equitable the MSF Sweden Innovation Unit deploys a human-centered approach for promoting a culture of innovation within MSF Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is extremely concerned about the impact of prolonged detention on asylum seekers’ and migrants' mental health and calls on the Lithuanian authorities to end arbitrary detention immediately.  “Prolonged arbitrary detention for migrants and asylum seekers in Lithuania must end immediately and all asylum claims should be fairly assessed as quickly as possible,” says Georgina Many people have disclosed to MSF teams that they fear persecution or death if they return to their countries European Union migration policies aimed at restricting migration and expanding detention have a detrimental impact on people’s mental health and wellbeing 60 per cent of whom had anxiety related complaints Most of these patients stated that their anxiety was related to the conditions of detention Uncertainty and limited access to legal aid are also cited as major stressors “I want to know what our future is,” a man detained in Kybartai told MSF “[…] We are trapped.” Members of the LGBTQI+ community are particularly exposed to discrimination and state detention conditions have severely impacted their mental wellbeing “I tried several times to kill myself without success,” a detainee who identifies as a member of the LGBTQI+ community told MSF Conditions of detention are inadequate to respond to the health and protection needs of people who are seeking safety Many also report degrading treatment and violence by the guards managing the two detention facilities where MSF works an MSF nurse witnessed State Border Guards violently wrestle to the ground and handcuff a psychiatric patient before putting him in isolation.  “He was locked into solitary confinement in the cell,” says the MSF nurse In the cell there was a sharp object—he harmed himself immediately following his return to [detention].” MSF mental health staff provided psychological support to three people who were sexually assaulted while in detention MSF advocated for them to be moved to a more appropriate centre The process was tedious and took more than two weeks There are currently no alternatives to detention for individuals who are identified as being particularly vulnerable MSF has identified and supported over 50 people who experienced torture or sexual and gender-based violence in their country of origin before they fled Our teams have identified and referred protection cases to the UNHCR including psychiatric patients who lack appropriate care MSF calls for an end to arbitrary and prolonged detention of asylum seekers and migrants in Lithuania Meaningful and effective protection must be ensured for all people on the move in Lithuania and alternatives to detention must urgently be provided violence and mental health distress of those detained will worsen MSF initially provided psychological support and distributed relief items in nine border post reception areas in Lithuania MSF has been providing primary health care and psychological support in two detention centres in Lithuania where temporary modular containers have been set up in a State Border Guard School for single men and women in a former prison that is currently used to detain single adult men The majority were for psychological first aid and psychosomatic complaints related to detention and a lack of access to necessities Our mental health teams provided 214 counselling sessions to 98 individuals who experienced distress relate to detention and uncertainty about their future and the asylum process—including fears of repatriation.  Your donations pay for millions of consultations own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment University of Bath provides funding as a member of The Conversation UK View all partners already stretched considerably by the invasion of Ukraine have ratcheted up even further over Kaliningrad a small piece of Russian territory sandwiched between Poland and Lithuania on the Baltic coast and cut off from mainland Russia Kaliningrad is a Russian oblast (region) of just under half a million people on the Baltic sea It sits between Lithuania to its north and east and Poland to its south and is about 1,300km from Moscow It was claimed by the Soviet Union from Germany after the second world war and has been controlled by Moscow ever since The decision jeopardises an agreement signed in April 2003 between the EU and Russia which allowed people and goods from Kaliningrad to obtain a transit document for train travel across Lithuania to Russia. The EU’s high representative for foreign affairs and security policy, Josep Borell saying that Lithuania was correctly implementing EU sanctions Moscow reacted immediately and strongly, threatening “serious consequences” The heightened tensions between Vilnius and Moscow follow hot on the heels of a discussion in Russia’s State Duma on June 8 – the lower house of parliament – about revoking the Soviet Union’s recognition of Lithuania’s independence By making a stand over transiting goods to Kaliningrad Lithuania is also highlighting its sovereignty With more than 1,000 personnel – and at a time of heightened conflict over Ukraine – this was a big concern for Vilnius So Russian military drills in Kaliningrad are viewed with alarm in Vilnius And, while Lithuania has the smallest Russian minority in the Baltic States, Moscow’s propaganda makes much of the ethnic Russian population in a similar way to its insistence that Crimea and the Donbas region are intimately tied through cultural and linguistic links to the Russian “motherland” So the ban on the transit of certain goods to Kaliningrad represents an important stand by Lithuania against Russia. While the original ban was on the transit of sanctioned goods by train, Vilnius extended the ban to goods moved by lorry on June 21 Russia will be left looking for available domestic shipping For Lithuania, it is a calculated risk. Since mid-2021 Lithuania no longer directly relies on Russia for energy, having connected to the European power grid it is a targeted action by Lithuania that leaves Russia with little scope for action The Russian government has called Lithuania’s actions a “blockade”. But people and unsanctioned goods can still transit across Lithuania and people from Kaliningrad can still enter Poland and Lithuania without a visa Connecting decision makers to a dynamic network of information Bloomberg quickly and accurately delivers business and financial information The Kybartai border crossing in Kybartai 2022 at 9:39 AM EDTBookmarkSaveLock This article is for subscribers only.Some European countries are raising concerns that the European Union is trying to pressure Lithuania into watering down the bloc’s sanctions to allow some banned goods to transit through its territory to Russia’s Baltic exclave Kaliningrad according to people familiar with the matter The worries come as the standoff over Kaliningrad escalates with Lithuanian government institutions reporting a fresh wave of “intense” cyber attacks Russia has said it will retaliate against the EU member state for blocking rail transport of goods such as steel in accordance with the bloc’s sanction measures You don't have permission to access the page you requested What is this page?The website you are visiting is protected.For security reasons this page cannot be displayed mostly from a tent camp in the Rudninkai military training area are planned to be moved to the Kybartai correctional facility Deputy Interior Minister Vitalij Dmitrijev said on Friday "We are planning to house up to 800 people there This would include both the building itself and modular housing units next to it if needed," he told a news conference.  The official confirmed that mostly people from the Rudninkai tent camp The camp currently houses around 750 people.  Dmitrijev said the migrants could be relocated within a month noting that the premises in Kybartai are "suitable for accommodation without any additional investment".  and a month should be a sufficient period of time to complete these procedural steps," the official said "Given also that the building will have to be transferred and decisions on where to move the people who are currently in the building will have to be made I think the time frame should be sufficient for us," he added.  The vice-minister said families and vulnerable persons would be accommodated in the Rukla Refugee Reception Centre and the Border Guard School in Medininkai.  The decision to move migrants currently living in military tents to the Kybartai correctional facility the Justice Ministry will have to transfer the premises to the Interior Ministry and move the inmates currently housed there to the nearest correctional facilities and a first-aid post are available in the correctional facility in Kybartai It also has leisure facilities such as a library a football stadium and basketball courts.  Over 4,100 migrants have crossed into Lithuania from Belarus illegally so far this year Lithuania has declared a state-level extreme situation over the unprecedented migration influx which it says is being orchestrated by the Belarusian regime A subscription to The Baltic Times is a cost-effective way of staying in touch with the latest Baltic news and views enabling you full access from anywhere with an Internet connection. Subscribe Now! 2025 © The Baltic Times /Cookies Policy Privacy Policy More than 2,500 asylum seekers and migrants are still detained in inhumane conditions in Lithuania nine months after they crossed the border from Belarus Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is extremely concerned about the impact of prolonged detention on asylum seekers’ and migrants’ mental health and calls on Lithuanian authorities to end arbitrary detention immediately “MSF teams have witnessed the physical and mental health distress caused by detention,” said Georgina Brown “People do not have access to a fair asylum process and there is no specialized support for psychiatric disorders or survivors of torture and sexual violence Prolonged arbitrary detention for migrants and asylum seekers in Lithuania must end immediately and all asylum claims should be fairly assessed as quickly as possible.” MSF provides mental health and medical care in two detention centers in Lithuania where people are being held for months on end without knowing when they will be released Most were detained in 2021  following a sharp increase in the number of people from Iraq Cameroon and Afghanistan trying to cross from Belarus into Poland Many have disclosed to MSF teams that they fear persecution or death if they return to their countries EU migration policies aimed at restricting migration and expanding detention have a detrimental impact on people’s mental health and wellbeing The majority of these patients stated that their anxiety was related to detention conditions Uncertainty and limited access to legal aid are also major stressors “I want to know what our future is,” a man detained in Kybartai told MSF “[…] We are trapped.” Members of the LGBTQI+ community are particularly exposed to discrimination and state detention conditions have severely impacted their mental wellbeing [1] LRT News, Prosecutors launch investigation into possible long-term sexual abuse of migrants at one SBGS alien registration center doctorswithoutborders.caDOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS / MÉDECINS SANS FRONTIÈRES (MSF) CANADA 551 Adelaide Street West Toronto Canada M5V 0N8 Charitable registration: # 13527 5857 RR0001 Fill out the form to download posters and fundraising toolkits that will help you with your fundraising initiative for MSF Looking to access paid articles across multiple policy topics Interested in policy insights for EU professional organisations In an attempt to defuse week-long rising tensions between Lithuania and Russia the European Commission on Wednesday (13 July) updated its guidelines on the management of the movement of sanctioned goods between the country’s mainland and its Kaliningrad exclave A freight train arrives to the border railway station Kybartai between Kaliningrad and Lithuania in Kybartai "Member states are under the legal obligation to prevent all possible forms of circumvention of EU restrictive measures," the European Commission guidance states it is necessary for Member States to continue monitoring the two-way trade flows between the non-contiguous parts of the Russian Federation," it adds Lithuania was not acting unilaterally and was only applying EU sanctions when it decided to ban the transit of some goods to Russia's Kaliningrad exclave EU's chief diplomat Josep Borrell said on Monday (20 June) Well before Vladimir Putin sent his war machine over the border into Ukraine the Russian president and his proxies were fulminating about Nato surrounding his country establishing hostile military bases in its backyard and boxing it into a corner Ukraine’s ever-closer relationship with the west and the prospect of it joining Nato was one of Russia’s great fears along with resentment that Nato had attracted countries that were once firmly within the old Soviet sphere of influence to enforce sanctions on certain goods moving between Russia and Kaliningrad a small Russian “exclave” wedged between Poland and Lithuania on the Baltic Coast Non-sanctioned goods (including food and vital supplies) can still pass freely from Russia to Kaliningrad through Lithuania as can people But reality has not played a huge part in Russia’s statements about the war to date sea power generally gives those countries wielding it an important advantage faces pressure from a range of seafaring nations which will eventually contribute to Moscow’s strategic failure the war of attrition in the Donbas region continues to be a struggle for every yard of territory bloody battle that is becoming clearer are the problems faced by Russia’s ground forces when it comes to crossing the various rivers in the region particularly where – as is common – Ukrainian defenders have destroyed all the bridges which is inflicting considerable harm on its campaign in the region Alexander Lukashenko – who has faced enormous unrest since the contested election which returned him to power in 2020 – will want to commit troops to war in Ukraine while he feels such insecurity at home An unexpected byproduct of this conflict is the impact it is having on global insurance markets Western insurers are already facing serious losses from sanctions passed in March prohibiting provision of various types of cover to activities related to Russia Losses in the sector are anticipated to be in the billions of pounds But our team of finance and banking experts from the University of Nottingham notes that Russian insurers are stepping into the gap left by western companies a little like the way the same problem has been handled by Iran under stringent western sanctions Finally, historians are already trying to make sense of what this conflict means in the longer-term continuum of world events. Lancaster University historian Paul Maddrell sees parallels between how Putin is now waging this war trying to hive off areas of territory that can be absorbed either into Russia itself or as puppet “republics” under Moscow’s control with the way Joseph Stalin dismembered Germany after the second world war which is how Russia ended up controlling Kaliningrad in the first place Ukraine Recap is available as a weekly email newsletter. Click here to get our recaps directly in your inbox. Lithuania last summer closed the first two border checkpoints – at Šumskas and Tverečius – on the border with Belarus The authorities say the closures are aimed at dealing with issues of national security as well as smuggling and violations of international sanctions Lithuania is also halting the movement of pedestrians and cyclists via the Medininkai and Šalčininkai border checkpoints and banning the pick-up and drop-off of passengers at the Kena and Kybartai railway border checkpoints except in exceptional cases to be decided by the State Border Guard Service (VSAT) “Exceptions will only be granted to persons allowed to travel for humanitarian reasons or with the mediation of other institutions such as the Foreign Ministry,” Rustamas Liubajevas Lithuanian and other EU citizens wishing to return from Russia will be able to use the Kena and Kybartai railway stations for two more weeks the passage of such individuals will no longer be executed,” he said The government has also decided to limit to 50 percent the number of permits issued to Belarusian and Lithuanian carriers operating regular international bus passenger services Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tikhanovskaya has said that the measures are building “iron curtains” warning that only the authoritarian presidents will benefit from the closure of border crossing points and the isolation of Belarusians Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda said the closure of two more border checkpoints with Belarus is needed to prevent the circumvention of sanctions against Minsk according to Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda “The iron curtain must be established because sanctions are applied to Belarus and in order for these sanctions not to be circumvented and to reduce smuggling and they have been taken in time,” he noted Interior Minister Agnė Bilotaite said Lithuania will continue to maintain the so-called humanitarian corridor for “people fleeing the regime” and noted that two border checkpoints remain open The Lithuanian State Security Department last year warned about attempts by Belarusian intelligence to recruit people travelling across the border A train carried cement from Russia to its Kaliningrad exclave Tuesday (26 July) in the first such trip since the European Union said Lithuania must allow Russian goods across its territory Lithuania said on Thursday (14 July) that it will not attempt to challenge a clarification by the European Commission allowing sanctioned civilian-use goods to transit by rail through its territory to Russia's exclave of Kaliningrad which Brussels stressed constitutes "no change in position" towards Moscow The Seimas Ombudspersons’ Office said on Wednesday it had submitted its first position to the ECHR in a case concerning the detention of migrants in Lithuania An Iraqi national brought a case against Lithuania for restricting his freedom of movement by transferring him to temporary accommodation He claims that Lithuania violated his right to freedom and not to be subjected to inhumane treatment Seimas Ombudsperson Erika Leonaitė told the Strasbourg court that the accommodation conditions and restrictions foreigners were subjected to amounted to de facto detention the conditions at the Kybartai Foreigners’ Registration Centre amounted to inhumane and degrading treatment,” the report states The Seimas ombudsperson said that all asylum seekers in Lithuania were at the time accommodated at closed accommodation facilities without the right to move freely within the territory of the country She also brought to the attention of the ECHR that at the Kybartai facility people were not only barred from leaving the premises and the territory of the centre but were also not allowed to move freely between the different floors Leonaitė also noted that the conditions in Kybartai amounted to inhumane and degrading treatment because the shower areas were open and hot water was available only once a week in a separate building the right of foreigners to receive state-guaranteed legal aid during the processing of their asylum applications or to appeal against the deprivation of their freedom was only formally ensured The Iraqi national who filed the complaint against Lithuania was detained by Lithuanian border guards on July 25 The man immediately asked for asylum and was then temporarily accommodated in Druskininkai He was moved to a camp in Rūdninkai on July 30 and was later transferred to Kybartai he did not have the right to move within the territory of Lithuania The Iraqi national informed the Strasbourg court in October 2022 that he was living in Germany The ECHR said earlier it was examining complaints from Cuban and Iraqi citizens about the refusal to allow them to enter Lithuania and the restriction of freedom of movement Almost 4,200 migrants crossed into Lithuania from Belarus in 2021 Most of them lived for a year at registration centres without the right to leave Most of them left Lithuania after this period ended Lithuania and the EU believe the wave of irregular migration was a hybrid attack orchestrated by the Belarusian regime Lithuanian border guards were given the right in August 2021 to turn irregular migrants away Lithuania has blocked more than 20,500 migrants from entering from Belarus It’s not cost-effective and doesn’t make sense to keep the staff for such a number [of migrants],” Giedrius Mišutis so the one in Kybartai will also be closed as it was opened at the height of the migrant crisis,” he added The centre’s closure on March 1 will lead to the loss of 150 jobs Lithuanian Interior Minister Agnė Bilotaitė said that just over 200 migrants who crossed into Lithuania from Belarus remained in the country almost 4,200 migrants entered Lithuania from Belarus Most of them have since fled Lithuania after being allowed to move freely inside the country Some migrants have also been returned to their countries of origin while around 500 have been granted asylum in Lithuania Read more: Lithuania dismantles migrant camps as foreigners head West In its recent report called their living conditions inhuman and degrading the State Border Guard Service (VSAT) and the Interior Ministry say they are making every effort to improve things Read more: Report slams Lithuania’s treatment of asylum seekers as ‘inhuman and degrading’ A 19-year-old barber from Iraq is one of the residents of the Kybartai centre In a makeshift barber shop he shaves about 20 people a week and does not take payment The facility used to be a correctional home and was converted into a migrant centre just 4 months ago When LRT TV reporters visited it late in January people in the centre had much to complain about Living conditions are not satisfactory either where they hang blankets in search of privacy from one another wash our faces and sleep again” said another man I had only seen the prison in movies – and now here,” added another People accommodated in Kybartai have about 3 square metres of space per person The minimal requirement is 4 square metres When the building was used as a penitentiary the current living quarters were a disciplinary unit – prisoners would be sent to these cells as punishment for disciplinary offences There are some 550 migrants accommodated in the Kybartai Centre Over 100 have already gone home – the Lithuanian government has been offering 1,000-euro payment to leave voluntarily Tomorrow I'm going to the airport to fly home to Lebanon I don't know if I will get the money I was promised but I don't want to stay here anymore,” said one migrant When the migration crisis started last spring the Lithuanian parliament passed a law allowing the authorities to lock up irregular migrants for up to six months Detention-like conditions were singled out in the Ombudsmen's Office's report The migrants voice their hardships whenever someone would listen “They come to the doctor and say ‘I want freedom’ I say that I don't make prescriptions for freedom,” says family doctor Vilius Kočiūnaitis Ombusdwoman Erika Leonaitė says that the living conditions in Kybartai are inhuman and degrading “Some guards carry out checks several times a night - they turn on the lights or count how many people are present these are situations where people are not even free to leave the floor where they live except in prescribed cases - they go to the shower to the shops or to the canteen according to schedule,” Leonaitė said “The minister [of interior] must come up with a concrete plan of measures otherwise she will have to take action and take individual responsibility In general,” says opposition MP Vytautas Bakas a member of the parliamentary Human Rights Committee “The Prosecutor General's Office must react to this report the head of the Foreigners' Registration Centre in Kybartai claimed that the cries for freedom can only be heard through the windows when reporters come a tender will be launched and showers will be installed So it is objectively difficult to change the situation in the Foreigners' Registration Centre in a short period of time,” commented Rustamas Liubajevas head of the Border Guard Service (VSAT) which is currently in charge of accommodating asylum seekers The Interior Ministry said that it was working on having a separate institution take care of it “Perhaps an agency could be set up to take care of the conditions services and accommodation of irregular migrants and asylum seekers,” said Deputy Interior Minister Arnoldas Abramavičius if migrants were to take their complaints about living conditions to the European Court of Human Rights or the Strasbourg Court “Taking into account the circumstances established during monitoring visits regarding the human rights situation of foreigners held in Kybartai FRC as well as relevant international standards and legal acts in force in the Republic of Lithuania the Seimas Ombudsperson concludes that the conditions of foreigners in Kybartai FRC are equivalent to inhuman or degrading treatment,” the office said in a statement on Monday evening Such treatment is “prohibited under the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment” According to the report the nature and degree of restrictions applied to foreigners accommodated in Kybartai FRC “are equivalent to detention” are kept in “significantly smaller living space than the minimum requirement per person” are subjected to strict restrictions on movement and lack of hygiene Leonaitė pointed out that “the right of foreigners to be informed about their rights and obligations and access to legal aid is not adequately guaranteed; therefore the state must ensure that migrants are provided with at least minimum conditions that meet their human dignity held in crowded conditions without even the slightest degree of privacy suffering from uncertainty about their future,” Leonaitė said in the statement The visits of the Seimas Ombudsperson and the employees of the Human Rights Division of the Seimas Ombudsmen’s Office to Kybartai FRC were carried out on 14-16 December 2021 The court granted 34 people detained in Kybartai Foreigners’ Registration Centre a right move freely and leave the premises If [migrants] hide their identity or cannot be identified the court decides that movement is only possible at the place of accommodation,” Giedrius Klimavičius Once foreigners are granted the right to free movement But 19 migrants who were allowed to move freely never came back to the centre in Kybartai [...] If these people are detained in Poland or Germany they will be returned to us in any case,” said Deputy Interior Minister Vitalij Dmitrijev enter the countries irregularly from Belarus Officials in Brussels and Vilnius say the Minsk regime launched a “hybrid attack” in response to EU sanctions over repressions against the Belarusian opposition irregular migrants can be detained for up to 18 months but Lithuanian Interior Minister Agnė Bilotaitė said the ministry will propose not to extend the restriction for another six months Read more: Lithuania not to extend detention of asylum seekers – minister head of the Kybartai Foreigners’ Registration Centre most migrants want “to be able to move freely but to live here” so there should not be a significant increase in the number of those trying to flee if the court decides to terminate migrant’s detention “I’ve heard the [interior] minister’s speech She said that we will all be free after a year I will look for a job,” Iraqi Halim Alrubajewe told LRT TV over 2,500 migrants are accommodated in five migrant centres in Lithuania The country’s authorities are offering them a voluntary return to their country of origin with pay-outs of up to 1,000 euros the Head of the Seimas Ombudsmen’s Office Erika Leonaitė published a report in which she stated that the living conditions at the Kybartai Foreigners’ Registration Centre (FRC) amounted to “inhuman and degrading treatment” The VSAT appreciates the Ombudsperson’s remarks and is ready to implement changes in Kybartai FRC Liubajevas said in a press conference on Tuesday He pointed out that the FRC was established in the former Kybartai Correctional Facility last September improving migrant living conditions in a short period of time would be impossible it would be difficult and almost impossible to implement very serious infrastructure reconstruction projects in a short period of time The VSAT has so far been unable to find a suitable contractor to improve the infrastructure at Kybartai FRC “We are also facing the problem of [the shortage] of specialists and psychologists in that region,” Liubajevas said certain changes in Kybartai FRC have already been implemented “The report […] may give the impression that the VSAT do not care about the foreigners’ accommodation conditions and their well-being But this is certainly not the case,” the VSAT commander said “A lot has been done to improve the foreigners’ living conditions since September when the FRC was established,” he added the institutions are working to ensure migrants’ rights to legal aid He also expects a greater involvement of non-government organisations in providing psychological help to foreigners VSAT has to submit to the Seimas Ombudsmen’s Office its proposals on how to improve the living conditions of asylum seekers in Kybartai FRC The specialists sustained minor injuries to their hands spokesperson for the State Border Guard Service (VSAT) “When the border guards told him about this He had a homemade knife in his pocket,” Mišutis told BNS “He attacked the officers with the knife and started to brandish it They had to use force and used a taser and handcuffs Two officers suffered minor injuries when trying to take the knife away They both suffered injuries to their fingers and palms,” he added the Nigerian man resisted and injured uniformed specialists at the Kybartai Foreigners’ Registration Centre A pre-trial investigation into the incident has been opened Mišutis said the Nigerian citizen’s asylum application was rejected once After being granted the right of free movement the man was detained at the Polish border and returned to Lithuania He was then stripped of the right to move freely in Lithuania 78 foreigners are living at the Kybartai Foreigners’ Registration Centre