The Belarus Women's Foundation supports the policy of international funds and the governments of EU countries in providing assistance to Belarusians who left their country due to repressions and criminal prosecution by Lukashenko’s regime.
Many of these Belarusians have been living abroad for a long time, actively taking part in the struggle for democracy and the release of political prisoners. Unfortunately, Belarusians abroad face the problem of legally staying in a host country, obtaining or changing a passport, or extending a humanitarian visa.
The Belarus Women's Foundation has sent a letter to political leaders in the European Commission, the European Parliament, and the member states of the European Union with an appeal to support Belarusians fleeing their oppressive government, to provide assistance in obtaining personal legal documents and the permission to stay in an EU country or to move within the EU.
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Responses / Progress:
07.09.23: Review of Decree No. 278 "On the Procedure for Issuing Documents and Performing Actions" (revera.legal): Embassies of the Republic of Belarus no longer issue passports. For Belarusian citizens living abroad, passports should only be issued/extended in Belarus: at police posts and on the spot in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Minsk.
Беларуские дипмиссии не будут выдавать паспорта беларусам, проживающим за границей - это будут делать органы внутренних дел, а в некоторых случаях с биометрическими документами еще и МИД.
05.09.23: Belarusian President Lukashenko Cuts off Exiled Enemies with Passport Ban - Bloomberg
06.09.23: Lukashenko bans Belarusians from renewing passports abroad (foxnews.com)
24.11.22: On 24.11.22 at the plenary session in Strasbourg, the European Parliament by a majority vote adopted a resolution: The continuing repression of the democratic opposition and civil society in Belarus - Thursday, 24 November 2022 (europa.eu):
17. "Calls on the Commission and the Member States to prepare rules and procedures to deal with cases where human rights defenders and other civil society activists are stripped of their citizenship in Belarus, as well as to provide support to those Belarusians residing in the EU whose identity documents are about to expire and who have no means of renewing them, since they cannot return to Belarus".
Рэзалюцыя Еўрапарламента: Лукашэнка павінен паўстаць перад трыбуналам - Хартыя'97
04.07.22: The response of the European commission is believed to be the first but decisive step to solve the problem of alternative national documents for Belarusians: "We will bring the issue to the attention of Member States and recommend a favourable approach regarding requests for such alternative national documents in order to support the Belarusian opposition and to alleviate this difficult situation"
20.07.22: "I doubt that Belarusian judges read international conventions": UN Special Rapporteur Anaïs Marin presented a report on Belarusians in exile: A/77/195 dd. 20.07.22 | "Палітыка нагнятання страху, закліканая вымусіць пакінуць краіну": новы даклад Спецдакладчыцы ААН — пра беларусаў у выгнанні (spring96.org)
#displaced !
#Belarus #passport #traveldocument