Lithuania expands polygraph testing to foreign nationals applying for residence permits

Lithuania's parliament, the Seimas, has expanded the list of people who can be required to take a polygraph test, adding foreign nationals, according to public broadcaster LRT. Under the new rules, foreigners applying for or renewing a residence permit in Lithuania may be required to undergo a lie detector test, but only if the Migration Department has “reasonable suspicions” that the person may pose a threat to national security. A foreigner who is asked to take the test and refuses will automatically be considered a security threat.

In addition to foreign nationals, the amendments also broaden the grounds for polygraph testing of Lithuania’s own public officials. Lawmakers behind the changes say the goal is to bolster national security measures in light of the “geopolitical situation, the growing activity of hostile states’ intelligence services, and the rising number of recruitment cases.”

Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Lithuania has sharply narrowed the grounds on which Russian and Belarusian citizens can obtain a residence permit and, conversely, expanded the grounds for revoking one. A permit can now be revoked, among other reasons, for frequent travel to Russia or Belarus.