More than 55,000 Lithuanian officials may face travel ban to Russia or Belarus

The Lithuanian government aims to adopt a law prohibiting travel to Russia, Belarus, and China for individuals handling classified information, as reported by LRT.

The Cabinet of Ministers has approved amendments to the Law on State and Official Secrets, which will now be considered by the Seimas (Parliament).

The aim of the project is to protect employees of state institutions who have access to classified information from hostile actions by foreign intelligence services, as reported by the Ministry of Defense, which drafted the bill.

According to ministry representatives, the decision was made following intelligence warnings about attempts to recruit Lithuanians with access to classified information.

The Ministry of Defense notes that the travel ban will affect approximately 56,000 people.

Since late 2022, when Lithuania introduced additional screening for citizens of the Russian Federation and Belarus, including surveys on their views on Russia's attack on Ukraine, 1,164 individuals from these countries were identified as threats to national security.