Immigration issues in Lithuania heat up, with confrontational demonstrations and sporadic clashes breaking out in the capital Vilnius

(Central News Agency reporter You Yaoju Vilnius, 4th reporter) The immigration issue in Lithuania has continued to heat up recently, and social differences have intensified. Demonstrations with opposing stances took place in the capital Vilnius yesterday. The anti-immigration rally organized by the right-wing political party "National Alliance" and the anti-racism group took to the streets at the same time. The two sides faced off only tens of meters apart, and sporadic conflicts were reported at the scene.

Lithuanian National Radio and Television (LRT) reported that two demonstrations were held along Gediminas Avenue in the city center. One party protested against large-scale immigration and related policies, while the other held an anti-racism rally on the opposite side of the street. The two parties were about 50 meters apart.

According to police estimates, there were about 500 people on the anti-immigration side and about 100 people on the counter-demonstration side. The police also dispatched more than 200 police officers to maintain order. The police pointed out that there were several conflicts at the scene, and one woman was hit in the chest and required medical assistance.

LRT reported that Jeronimas Rimkūnas, a 29-year-old man who participated in the anti-immigration demonstration, said that he was worried about the scale of immigration and believed that judging from the development of other EU countries, "this wave of immigration is gradually affecting our country", which made him uneasy.

On the other hand, Gabija, a 26-year-old Vilnius resident who participated in the counter-demonstration, said that the relevant anti-immigration demonstrations were racist and Islamophobic. "It is unacceptable to belittle others because of their origin, nationality or religion. Such views themselves create insecurity."

According to reports, groups hosting anti-immigration campaigns advocate lowering immigration quotas and deporting foreigners involved in crimes. The opposition emphasized that the actual number of immigrants in Lithuania was not as serious as some political statements claimed, and criticized relevant discussions for creating social panic.

Recently, discussions on immigration issues have continued to rise in Lithuanian society. In September, provocative incidents against the Muslim community occurred, including placing pig heads outside mosques and suspected burning of Korans. Related cases have entered the investigation process.

The report pointed out that most mainstream political parties kept a distance from this demonstration and emphasized that extreme positions should be avoided. However, some individual politicians and civil society groups still expressed their participation or attended the event to pay attention.

According to data from the Lithuanian Immigration Service, as of September, there were 226,999 foreigners holding residence permits in the country, with Ukraine (approximately 80,300), Belarus (approximately 47,800), Russia (approximately 13,200), Uzbekistan (approximately 12,600) and India (approximately 9,400) being the main sources.