Asylum-seekers
An asylum-seeker is someone who is seeking international protection. Their request for refugee status, or complementary protection status, has yet to be processed, or they may not yet have requested asylum but they intend to do so.
Not every asylum-seeker will ultimately be recognized as a refugee, but every refugee was initially an asylum-seeker.
Detailed information on who applies for asylum in Belarus, what happens once someone applies for asylum and where can an asylum-seeker stay is available on the UNHCR Belarus “Help” website.
Refugees
Refugees are people forced to flee their own country and seek safety in another country. They are unable to return to their own country because of feared persecution as a result of who they are, what they believe in or say, or because of armed conflict, violence or serious public disorder.
Many have been forced to flee with little more than the clothes on their back, leaving behind their homes, possessions, jobs and loved ones. They may have suffered human rights violations, been injured in their flight, or seen family members or friends killed or attacked.
Please find more info at the UNHCR Global page.
Complementary protection is granted to people who don’t meet the criteria for refugee status but have a legitimate fear of harm if they return to their home country. These individuals may have left their country of nationality or habitual residence and cannot or will not seek protection there due to the threats they face. Complementary protection is granted for up to 1 year. It can be extended if the grounds for its provision are valid.
Foreign nationals and stateless people granted refugee status or complementary protection enjoy the social and economic rights almost at the same level as nationals of Belarus. Children of people with refugee status or complementary protection are entitled to preschool and secondary education and medical treatment on the same basis as Belarusian nationals.
More details are available on the UNHCR Belarus “Help” website.
Stateless people
A stateless person is someone who is not considered as a national by any State under the operation of its law. This means that stateless people are not recognized as citizens by any country. As a result, they often struggle to access basic rights and services, such as being able to go to school, work legally, access health care or get married. They are also at a higher risk of exploitation and abuse. Some people are born stateless, while others become stateless later in life.
Statelessness can be caused by several factors, including:
- laws and policies that discriminate based on ethnicity, race, religion or gender;
- emergence of new states and transfers of territory between existing States;
- gaps in nationality legislation and administrative practices that can exclude people from acquiring nationality;
- lack of birth registration and documentation;
- risks of statelessness can also arise in situations of migration and forced displacement.
There are 5,567 stateless people in Belarus (31/12/2023 DCM). Approximately 97% possess permits for permanent residence, which provides stateless people access to social protection, employment, healthcare, and education on the same basis as Belarusian citizens.
In Belarus, UNHCR works closely with national partners and development agencies and focuses on advocacy for accession to the UN Statelessness Conventions, enhancement of legislation, as well as assistance to stateless people.
More details are available here.