The law on granting additional protection to foreigners in Belarus comes into force on July 3

14:34:09 3/7 NO,RKO,RO,F,SAVI / 49 July 3, Minsk /Elena Prus - BELTA/. The Law "On Granting Refugee Status, Additional and Temporary Protection to Foreign Citizens and Stateless Persons in the Republic of Belarus" comes into force today. This was reported to a BELTA correspondent by the Department for Citizenship and Migration of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Belarus. This law supplements the current law "On Refugees" with a new institution for the protection of asylum seekers. The adoption of such a law is another step towards creating an effective national asylum system that meets modern realities for people in need of international protection. This contributes to strengthening the image of Belarus as a state consistently pursuing a progressive policy in the humanitarian sphere. The new law has been developed taking into account the work of the migration service of Belarus and is based on international principles in the field of providing assistance to refugees. It should be noted that the previous legislation did not provide additional protection for certain categories of foreigners who need it. These include foreigners who fear the death penalty and torture if they return to their countries of citizenship or former habitual residence, as well as people fleeing the dangers of armed conflicts (this refers to mass acts of violence during civil wars and armed conflicts, corporal punishment or the death penalty for non-compliance with behavioral norms under Sharia law, long prison sentences without charge, the use of torture to obtain information during detention, and physical mutilation provided for by ancient customs). The central element of international protection for such people is the right not to be subjected to forced return or expulsion in situations that could jeopardize their life or freedom. With the introduction of the new institution, persons who receive additional protection will be issued temporary residence permits in Belarus for a period of one year, with the possibility of extension. The law also introduces a provision on the identification of a foreigner, including a minor, who is seeking protection and does not have a travel document. According to expert estimates, about 20 foreigners, half of whom are minors, may be granted additional protection in Belarus annually. As of June 1 of this year, over 12 years of refugee recognition procedures (since 1997), 3,265 asylum seekers have applied to the migration authorities of Belarus. 808 people from 13 countries have been recognized as refugees. The largest group consists of refugees from far abroad countries, primarily from Afghanistan. Among the recognized refugees are citizens of Georgia (mainly from Abkhazia), Tajikistan, Azerbaijan, Ethiopia, Palestine, etc. As previously reported by BELTA, 94 refugees have already obtained Belarusian citizenship. In accordance with national legislation, a foreigner has the right to obtain citizenship of the Republic of Belarus after 7 years of being recognized as a refugee. In 2008, the total number of people worldwide who left their homes due to military conflicts and persecution reached 42 million, of whom 26 million were internally displaced persons. -0-