Lithuanian Administrative Disputes Commission upheld two complaints by Sienos Grupė against VSAT for failure to respond
2024 02 02
Sienos Grupė submitted multiple inquiries to the State Border Guard Service (VSAT) under the Ministry of the Interior but received no responses, prompting complaints to the Lithuanian Administrative Disputes Commission.
On 23 October 2023, Sienos Grupė requested permission to visit the Padvarionys border post, where asylum seekers are detained, to discuss compliance with human rights standards. VSAT responded only on 1 December 2023, after a repeated request, stating that third parties were not allowed to visit and recommending contact with the border post commander.
In its decision of 2 February 2024 in case No. AG-923/04-2023, the Commission held that by failing to provide a reasoned response and redirecting the applicant to another unit, VSAT violated the “one-stop-shop” principle enshrined in the Law on Public Administration. The Commission also found that VSAT failed to provide evidence supporting its claim that it did not receive Sienos Grupė’s emails. The contested letter was annulled and VSAT was ordered to reconsider the request.
In a separate decision of 1 February 2024 in case No. AG-922/04-2023, the Commission found that VSAT failed to respond to two further requests dated 6 and 10 November 2023 and ordered the institution to examine them.