“After the 2020 presidential election, many thousands of Belarusians were forced to leave their country. The Belarusian regime, which for years has ruthlessly suppressed all forms of dissent, has in recent years begun to persecute individuals beyond Belarus’s borders as well,” Amnesty reminds in its analysis published on Monday.
As the organization explains, the analysis outlines the difficulties faced by Belarusians in Poland, constitutes an important element of the struggle for their rights, and also raises the alarm about the troubling situation of children born in Poland who remain formally “invisible” to the legal and administrative system.
Amnesty acknowledged Poland’s efforts to support refugees, including the issuance of special travel documents, but emphasized that these are temporary and limited solutions, and some regulations are insufficient to provide the Belarusian diaspora with a sense of security.
The organization pointed out that the Polish travel document currently issued is valid for only one year, which does not offer refugees a sense of stability or the ability to make long-term life plans.
In its statement, Amnesty calls on the Polish government to take comprehensive action for the Belarusian diaspora, including: extending the validity of travel documents to a minimum of three years, establishing a pathway to identity documentation for children born in Poland to Belarusian parents, replacing temporary regulations with permanent legislative solutions, increasing awareness about the status of such documents, explicitly recognizing them as valid identity documents, simplifying legalization procedures, and advocating at the EU level for common solutions for Belarusians deprived of passports.
The appeal forms part of Amnesty International’s “Stolen Everyday Life” campaign, which highlights ongoing repression in Belarus and within its diaspora. The organisation continues to call for the release of political prisoners, including journalist Andrzej Poczobut and opposition figure Maria Kolesnikova.
Despite reduced media attention, Amnesty warns that dissent in Belarus is still harshly punished, while many exiles remain trapped between the threat of persecution at home and legal limbo abroad.
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Source: X/@amnestyPL/Amnesty.org.pl