Workshop on Developments and Patterns of Migration in Central Eastern Europe - Prague, 2005

Challenges to Migration Policies in Belarus

Yaraslau Kryvoi, LLM

http://kryvoi.net

Workshop on Developments and Patterns of Migration in Central Eastern Europe - Prague, 2005

Introduction to Belarus

Location and Borders: neighbours - EU states (Poland, Lithuania and Latvia), Russia and Ukraine

Economic and Political Context: the Only European State which is not a Member of Council of Europe

Political Leadership and External Relations: between Russia and EU

Workshop on Developments and Patterns of Migration in Central Eastern Europe - Prague, 2005

The System of Treating Migrants

1. Applications are accepted2. The central migration authorities make a

status determination using information provided by the regional migration service

3. Time limit for consideration of applications – 6 months

4. Refugee status is granted for an indefinite time, until fundamental changes occur in the country of origin

Workshop on Developments and Patterns of Migration in Central Eastern Europe - Prague, 2005

Statistics on migrants in Belarus in August 2005

Country of Origin Asylum status granted

Afghanistan 548

Georgia (Abkhasia) 120

Tajikistan 32

Azerbaijan 29

Ethiopia 23

Palestine 9

Other 12

Total 773

Workshop on Developments and Patterns of Migration in Central Eastern Europe - Prague, 2005

Dynamics of Migration

Around 3000 potential refugees are awaiting consideration of their cases

Transit migrants – estimated 30-40 thousand people per year

Once Illegal immigrants are caught they are put on a train back to Russia, but very often they return through transparent Belarus-Russia border

Workshop on Developments and Patterns of Migration in Central Eastern Europe - Prague, 2005

Belarusian Migrants

The largest group - work migrants to Russia, particularly Moscow (tens of thousands annually)

Work migrants to the EU, US and Canada (thousands annually)

Political refugees (hundreds or thousands annually)

Workshop on Developments and Patterns of Migration in Central Eastern Europe - Prague, 2005

Challenges to migration policies and practices

Bureaucratic barriers - residence permits - no possibilities to work legally Financial Constraints - lack of money for deportation

- lack of money for proper temporary camps Lack of regional cooperation - no readmission agreements with the main transit

countries - Russia and Ukraine - lack of EU-Belarus cross border cooperation

Workshop on Developments and Patterns of Migration in Central Eastern Europe - Prague, 2005

Political Complications

The Belarusian President plays migration card

Poor record of Belarusian authorities, especially in the field of human rights

Western aid for border protection goes to Poland, Lithuania and Latvia, with Belarus forced to bear the brunt of illegal immigration on its own

Workshop on Developments and Patterns of Migration in Central Eastern Europe - Prague, 2005

Conclusions

The consequences and costs for Belarus to be on the external border of the EU and at borders with Russia and Ukraine

Belarus and the EU cooperation on the border protection, illegal migration and European Neighborhood Policy

conditions for migrants and refugees in Belarus

Workshop on Developments and Patterns of Migration in Central Eastern Europe - Prague, 2005

What is needed?

Without greater political will, cross-border cooperation and foreign assistance - unlikely to be forthcoming from an international community concerned by human rights abuses in Belarus - the illegal immigration will remain a serious problem for both Belarus and its neighbours and may have negative implications for the enlarged European Union