Lithuania Launches Probe into Misallocated EU Aid Meant for Ukrainian Refugees   

The Lithuanian Ministry of Social Security and Labor has launched an investigation following the disbursement of one million euros in aid, which was allocated by the European Union for Ukrainian refugees, to different displaced persons. According to Lithuanian National Radio, the aid was mistakenly distributed to refugees from 43 different countries, including Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Tajikistan.
The administration of the European Social Fund Agency, responsible for distributing aid, has decided to dismiss the agency’s director, Elena Nivinskienė. Alternatively, Audronė Alisauskienė has been appointed as the agency’s interim director. According to the agency, aid funds can be distributed to vulnerable refugee groups regardless of nationality, in accordance with Lithuanian and European law.
To support Ukrainian refugees, the European Union allocated approximately EUR 17 million in 2022–2023. The funds were designated for providing food, medicine, hygiene products, Lithuanian language courses, and subsidized employment opportunities. However, a recent audit by the national government’s auditing office revealed that 813 refugees from other countries had received aid totaling over one million euros from these funds, sparking anger within Lithuanian government circles.
Rasa Virganavičienė, the head of the European Union’s Investment Audit Department, reported to the Audit Committee of the Lithuanian Parliament on the findings of an audit conducted by the State Audit Office. The audit revealed that 813 non-Ukrainian refugees, including some from Russia, received funds that were meant for Ukrainians. In light of this, the General Audit Office has requested the return of the improperly spent funds, and Virganavičienė advised the European Commission against funding these costs.
Lithuania’s Public Finance Supervisory Authority (LFSA) has challenged the figures reported by the Audit Office. According to the Authority, only 484 non-Ukrainian refugees mistakenly received aid. It also stated that the regulations in effect at the time permitted support for vulnerable refugee groups with legal status, particularly for language training and employment-related activities.
The Lithuanian Ministry of Social Security and Labour confirmed that the Lithuanian Employment Service, which is responsible for implementing the project, is required to return the misallocated funds before the official deadline. “This should not have happened,” said Deputy Minister of Social Security and Labor Rita Grigalavičienė. “We are conducting an internal audit to determine how this occurred.”