How to complain about the way you are treated or the conditions you are placed in during your asylum procedure?
Reception centre
The internal rules of the reception centre, including the procedure for filing complaints, have been established by a ruling of the Government. These rules are introduced to you upon arrival at the reception centre. If these rules are violated, or you are not satisfied with a particular situation, you should first turn to the staff of the centre and try to solve the issue by communicating with them.
If the situation is not remedied, you may file a complaint against the reception centre to the Ministry of Social Security and Labour, which supervises the centre. When filing a complaint, you should explain the relevant facts, the type of violation, how it occurred and add any evidence that you have.
example You are accommodated in the same room as a stranger of a different gender and you are not comfortable with it. This is against the internal rules of the reception centre. If the reception centre’s staff does not solve the problem, you can contact the Ministry of Social Security and Labour to file a complaint.
You may also file a complaint with the Parliamentary Ombudspersons. Read more about how to address the Parliamentary Ombudspersons.
Treatment by officers
The State Boarder Guard Service officers with whom you come into contact at the border crossing point, or during any procedural acts, have the obligation to treat you in a dignified manner and in accordance with your procedural rights. If you feel there has been a breach of your rights, you may file a complaint with the State Boarder Guard Service’s Internal Control Bureau, which processes complaints on the behaviour of officers from the State Boarder Guard Service.
example You arrive at the Lithuanian border crossing point and apply for international protection. Officers from the State Boarder Guard Service treat you in a disrespectful manner and do not provide you with food or water for the whole day. This kind of treatment violates your rights, and you may file a complaint against the specific officers to the Internal Control Bureau of the State Boarder Guard Service.
You also have the right to submit a complaint to the Administrative Court against any administrative act issued, or administrative measure taken, by an official of the Migration Department or the State Boarder Guard Service, pursuant to the procedure provided for in the Law on Administrative Proceedings.
example A Migration Department or the State Boarder Guard Service official holds an asylum interview with you in a language in which you are unable to communicate. This results in a breach of your right to be heard and you may submit a complaint to the Administrative Court, requesting the Migration Department or the State Boarder Guard Service to conduct another interview with appropriate interpretation.
If you have suffered any material or moral damages because of the treatment or inappropriate conditions, you also have the right to claim compensation for the damages through the Administrative Court.