The system of asylum legislation in the Republic of Belarus

Abstract

National legislation complies with universally recognised norms of the international law, in particular: the definition of the ?refugee? notion, grounds for granting refugee status and subsidiary protection comply with similar provisions of international legal documents (in particular, the 1951 UN Convention ?Relating to the Status of Refugees?). Belarus ratified international treaties on economic, social and cultural, civil and political rights and joined the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination and Convention for the Suppression of the Traffic in Persons and of the Exploitation of the Prostitution of Others. Foreign citizens applying for recognition as refugees as well as recognised refugees enjoy special privileges and may count on certain types of aid on behalf of the state. In particular, according to the national legislation in Belarus, socio-economic rights of refugees are equal to the rights of citizens of the Republic of Belarus, refugees are granted free access to the national system of education and health system. Children of refugees enjoy the right to attend preschool facilities. Currently the drawback of the national legislative system in the discussed area is underregulation of issues related to refugee integration, conditions for their active participation in the life of society, ensuring equal rights and opportunities for men and women. Besides, representation of legal provisions in a multitude of statutory acts, including by-laws and decisions of state agencies, makes their application inconvenient. It also has a negative effect on the quality of cooperation and coordination of work of public authorities when addressing issues related to granting asylum.