European Union support intended for Ukrainian war refugees in Lithuania went to citizens of hostile states, LRT Radio reported on 28 May.
More than one million euros ($1,1 mn) in aid will have to be returned from the budget.
The Ministry of Social Security and Labor has already started an internal audit. The European Social Fund Agency (ESFA), which supervised the project, dismissed its director. The agency claimed that the regulations at the time allowed aid to be given to non-Ukrainians.
Ukrainian war refugees in Lithuania receive support including food, hygiene products, medicines, and legal services. They are also taught Lithuanian language and receive subsidized employment assistance.
The European Union supports Ukrainian integration in member countries when Russia its full-scale invasion. In 2022-2023, the EU provided almost 17 million euros ($19 mn) for the project “Support for war refugees from Ukraine.”
However, it emerged that aid intended for Ukrainians also went to citizens of Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and other countries who have residence permits in Lithuania. Citizens of 43 countries in total received such support. They attended Lithuanian language courses and received subsidized employment.
The European Social Fund Agency supervised the “Support for war refugees from Ukraine” project. The state is the founder of this agency, which administers EU investments in Lithuania.
The Employment Service implemented the project. Refugees were employed in companies, and employers received subsidies for this.
Over $1,1 mn spent on non-Ukrainians will have to be returned. The State Audit Office found that hundreds of arrivals could not receive such support.
According to LRT Radio sources, the fact that aid went to Russian and Belarusian citizens caused fury in government corridors. On 13 May, the agency announced that director Lina Nevinskienė was replaced. Audronė Ališauskienė was appointed as interim director.
“We evaluate this badly. This should not have happened. An internal audit is underway, we are finding out how this could have happened,” Social Security and Labor Vice Minister Rita Grigalienė told LRT Radio. The ministry is a shareholder of the agency.
The State Audit Office says it found that aid was provided to 813 people who are not even Ukrainian citizens.
“We established that 813 people do not meet this target group (Ukrainian war refugees). Among them are Russian citizens. Therefore, we said that it would be inappropriate for the European Commission to finance such expenses,” State Audit Office EU Investment Audit Department head Rasa Virganavičienė told LRT.
Members of the Seimo Audit Committee were briefed on the audit findings last week.
The agency itself rejects criticism and says that the regulations at the time allowed aid to be given to non-Ukrainian citizens.
“The situation arose when evaluating all documents valid at that time. When evaluating documents for additional activities – Lithuanian language teaching and employment subsidies – socially vulnerable persons not necessarily from Ukraine could participate,” ESFA Project Development Department head Jolita Petraitienė told LRT Radio.
These people had the right to live in Lithuania.
The State Audit Office explained that according to the project contract, only Ukrainian citizens could receive aid.
The agency claimed that the number of inappropriate participants is not 813 as the State Audit Office found, but 484.
Nevertheless, the Lithuanian ministry confirmed that the project implementer will be obliged to return the funds within the specified deadline.
The Ministry of Social Security and Labor initiated its own investigation. According to her, they are finding out how this happened. “We are doing everything so that this does not happen again. This should not have happened, it should not have been this way,” she said.