Mr Mickevičius, the HRMI Executive Director, commented factual restrictions imposed on the students in the United Kingdom attempting to return to Lithuania after the summer season. Home Office officials are protracting the return of the passports, which have been requested as an attachment to work permit applications, to the young Lithuanians.
In an interview on M-1 radio, H. Mickevičius explained that the Convention of Human Rights states that every person had a right to leave any country. This right can be restricted only under certain circumstances defined by the law (e.g. national security, public order) that do not contradict the principles of Convention.
“The number of Lithuanian citizens who can’t return to Lithuania is quite impressive. It might be difficult for the Government of Great Britain to find arguments to justify the restriction of this right,‘‘ claimed H.Mickevičius.
He recommended to the Lithuanian citizens to appeal to England’s courts located in the circuits where Lithuanian documents were submitted to the Home Office branches of Great Britain. In case of losing a lawsuit in national courts, there is a possibility to appeal to the European Court of Human Rights.
See the related article in Lithuanian in LIETUVOS RYTAS Daily.
© 2012 Human Rights Monitoring Institute