UNHCR representative considers Belarusian refugee legislation progressive

July 1, Vitebsk / Diana Kurilo - BELTA /. Representative of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Sholleh Safavi considers Belarusian refugee legislation progressive and in line with international legal norms. She stated this to journalists today during a visit to a temporary accommodation center for refugees in Vitebsk, according to a BELTA correspondent. Belarus has developed a sufficient legislative framework to support refugees. The new version of the law on refugees, which comes into force on July 3, includes many provisions from the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees and its 1967 Protocol. "However, even before the adoption of this law, the legal framework in the field of refugees was progressive," emphasized Sholleh Safavi. The new version of the law will simplify the process of obtaining refugee status and issue permits for refugees to stay temporarily in Belarus for up to 1 year with the possibility of subsequent extension. In the new version of the law, refugees are equated with foreigners permanently residing in Belarus. The UNHCR representative is on a working trip to the Vitebsk region. As Sholleh Safavi said, she intends to meet with the regional leadership, representatives of migration services and public organizations dealing with refugee issues, and discuss with them the issues of socialization and integration of refugees into Belarusian society. As Sholleh Safavi noted, several temporary accommodation centers for refugees have been established in Belarus. Two of them are designed for a one-year stay for persons seeking refugee status, and they are located in Vitebsk and Gomel. They can accommodate about 50 people at a time. Another short-term stay center, for a period not exceeding 5 days, is located at the Minsk airport. According to the UNHCR representative, these centers are sufficient to ensure the normal living conditions of foreign citizens forced to leave their permanent place of residence. The temporary accommodation center for refugees in Vitebsk was established in 2002 with the support of the UNHCR. It is designed to accommodate 30 foreign citizens seeking asylum in Belarus at a time. During its operation from June 2002 to June 2009, 131 foreigners from 25 countries were issued a referral for temporary accommodation at the center. In the Vitebsk region, 36 foreign citizens from 6 countries are registered as recognized refugees in the Republic of Belarus. -0-