Refugees, asylum seekers, and migrants often do not end up in the places they expected. Because of the pandemic impacts, their exposure to COVID-19 may be increased as a result of crowded camps and detention centers. A total of 4,537 undocumented migrants entered Lithuania via Belarus from June 2021 to November 30, 2022. In the period 24 February 2022 to 30 November 2022, Lithuania's Immigration Department registered 71,386 Ukrainian refugees. This study investigates the healthcare and social needs of recent asylum seekers who have crossed the Belarusian border and Ukrainian refugees in Lithuania. This is a study protocol for a mixed-methods study which will involve qualitative interviews with asylum seekers who crossed from Belarus in June 2021 and Ukrainian refugees. During a quantitative phase, refugees and asylum seekers will be asked to complete questionnaires. In this study, validated questionnaires will be used, including the Hopkins Symptom Checklist (HSCL-25), the Harvard Trauma Questionnaire (HTQ), and the Short Form 36 (SF-36). Participants will also be asked to self-report sociodemographic information. As a result of the findings of this study, it is possible to provide guidelines for improving access to health care services, including prevention (i.e., vaccination programs) and treatment of chronic and acute illnesses, through primary and secondary healthcare delivery, thereby reducing negative health outcomes. This study may shed light on the social needs of asylum seekers and refugees in Lithuania. In addition, this may provide insight into how they are integrating into the community, such as what their employment and educational prospects are.

IntroductionHealth care providers are increasingly required to provide care to patients from diverse cultural backgrounds. A culturally competent approach could be used to address gaps in the health care of migrants, whether they are refugees, asylum seekers, or undocumented migrants. From June 2021 onward, there are estimated to be 4,300 asylum seekers in Lithuania who crossed the Belarusian border. Furthermore, ~65 thousand Ukrainians registered within 6 months of the beginning of the war on 24 February 2022.AimTo determine the cultural competence of Lithuanian nurses using the Nurse Cultural Competence Scale (NCCS) questionnaire.MethodsA quantitative study evaluating the cultural competency of nursing professionals will be conducted using the Lithuanian version of the Nurse Cultural Competence Scale (NCCS). The study will be conducted in Lithuanian municipalities and will involve primary, secondary, and tertiary health care providers.DiscussionThis study will provide data that can guide the development and evaluation of interventions designed to reduce health disparities among migrants, including the need to identify the appropriate type of cultural competency training for nurses. In addition to the results of this study, it may provide an indication of other cultural competency required for nurses. This includes consideration of religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, household classifications on the basis of urban vs. rural areas, language spoken, and country of origin.