DISINFO: Lithuania is a poor country with gloomy economic perspectives
SUMMARY
Migrants are returning to Lithuania, as they have nothing left to do abroad. They end up in Lithuania, where unemployment is at 16%, where there are economic difficulties, and no consumer optimism. By European standards Lithuania is quite poor. There is no sense in staying in Lithuania where economic perspectives are gloomy. Sooner or later, those who returned, will leave again as Lithuania is unattractive for employees. Lithuania for them is just a temporary stop.
RESPONSE
Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about the economy of Lithuania.
The unemployment rate in Lithuania in the last quarter of 2020 was 9 per cent (not “higher than 16” as stated in the message). It is just a little bit higher than the EU average which is 7.3 per cent.
Statistic of immigration shows that not only former emigrants return to the country. Lithuania is attractive for emigrants from other countries as well, first of all, from Belarus, Ukraine, and Russia. The main motivation of the mentioned immigrants is to work in Lithuania.
Lithuania also is among the EU countries which deal with the economic crisis, linked to coronavirus pandemic, in the best way so far.
See other examples of disinformation about the “weakness” of the economy of Lithuania (and other Baltic states): Hypocritical Lithuanian political elite maintains anti-Russian position to detriment of the economy; A new wave of migration from the Baltic states will follow after the pandemic; The Baltic countries live mainly at the expense of the EU budget.