On this page, you will find:
To find organisations working for LGBTQI+ rights, visit our Belarus LGBTQI+ Resources page.
For Belarus country of information (COI) experts, reports, commentaries, and relevant documents visit our Belarus COI page.
Refugee protection
Click here to see the numbers and origins of refugees hosted by Belarus.
The following sections contain information on the most important international treaties and agreements of which Belarus is signatory, as well as national legislation relevant to the protection of refugees.
Since 2001 Belarus has been both a party to the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees, which provides the internationally recognised definition of a refugee and outlines the legal protection, rights and assistance a refugee is entitled to receive, and to its 1967 Protocol relating to the Status of Refugees, which expanded the Convention to apply universally and protect all persons fleeing conflict and persecution.
It has not yet accepted the 1954 Convention relating to the Status of Stateless Persons, which established a framework for the international protection of stateless persons; the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness, which set rules for the conferral and non-withdrawal of citizenship to prevent cases of statelessness from arising; or the 1997 European Convention on Nationality, which established principles and rules on nationality. However, in 2019, the Government has pledged to accede to the 1954 and 1961 UN Conventions on Stateless and is committed to continue progress towards accession.
In addition to its obligations under the aforementioned international instruments, Belarus is obligated to respect the international customary legal principle of non-refoulement, which prohibits any country from deporting any person to a country where they face the threat of persecution.
Belarus is not part of the European Union (EU).
The Constitution provides the foundational principles for the protection of human rights. Article 22 guarantees equality before the law for all individuals, regardless of their nationality or origin. Article 23 prohibits discrimination, reinforcing the country’s commitment to upholding the rights of refugees.
In 2009, a new version of the Law on Refugees was introduced in Belarus, including the following amendments: an introduction of complementary protection in addition to refugee status and an absolute ban on removal from Belarus of individuals who would be tortured in their countries of origin. In 2017, a new version of this law was produced following the mass arrival of citizens of Ukraine – this version eliminated almost all grounds for rejection not in line with the 1951 Convention, provided clear obligations for border control to receive asylum applications, and granted refugees similar socio-economic rights to citizens.
In 2020, the Human Right Council submitted a national report, Article 12 of which affirms “The Republic of Belarus may grant the right of asylum to persons persecuted in other states for political or religious beliefs or their ethnic affiliation” and Article 84.17 states that the President “resolves issues regarding the granting of citizenship of the Republic of Belarus, the termination thereof and the granting of asylum”.
In Belarus, the Refugee Status Determination (RSD) process is primarily managed by the State Migration Department under the Ministry of Internal Affairs. This is the responsible authority for processing asylum claims, including registering and assessing refugee applications. While UNHCR provides support, guidance, and advocacy in the protection of refugees, it does not carry out the RSD process in Belarus.
Applicants seeking asylum in Belarus must submit their request to the State Migration Department. The department processes the application, conducts interviews, and makes the final determination regarding refugee status. The asylum seeker will be informed of the decision, and if the application is denied, they have the right to appeal the decision.
UNHCR’s role in Belarus is to assist in ensuring that the RSD procedure complies with international standards, offering protection to asylum seekers, and helping to address any challenges refugees face during the application process. However, the final decision on refugee status remains with the State Migration Department.
It is crucial for asylum seekers to follow the procedures outlined by the State Migration Department, which includes applying for asylum within 90 days of entering Belarus and cooperating with authorities during the RSD process.
For information regarding the asylum process, please consult UNHCR Belarus Help Page.
Legal aid organisations
An informal Polish network of NGOs, activists, lawyers, doctors, psychologists and inhabitants of the area of the Polish-Belarusian border, established as a response to the humanitarian refugee crisis in the region. It offers on-the-ground, material support for people at the border and co-ordinates a Poland-wide response to the crisis and any new developments. The group also includes documentation, investigation and legal teams.
Address: Krasnoarmeyskaya 22A, 220104, Minsk
Tel: 375 (33) 635-21-66
Email: pa.bmmw@gmail.com
The Refugee Counselling Service is a joint project of UNHCR and the Belarusian Movement of Medical Workers. It assists refugees in Belarus by providing free-of-charge legal aid services. RCS has its offices in all regions of Belarus. They have regional branches and you can find more information about these using the above contact details.
Address: 22A Krasnoarmeiskaya str. 22A, offices 79-80, 220030, Minsk
Tel: +375 (29) 333-59-49
Email: blrmi@unhcr.org
UNHCR in Belarus has been providing assistance to refugees since 1995. UNHCR works to improve asylum rights in the region, promote tolerance, facilitate integration, and develop durable solutions for forcibly displaced persons. In response to the Ukraine refugee crisis, UNHCR leads and coordinates initiatives, including the implementation of the 2024 Refugee Response Plan (RRP), in close partnership with government authorities, UN agencies, and NGOs.
Tel: +4915774002500 (for Whatsapp, Telegram, and Signal)
Email: legal@humanconstanta.org
Human Constanta helps foreign citizens with legal consultations and other questions for free, hold educational events and public campaigns that promote the idea of anti-discrimination and equality in society, and advocates for a human rights-based approach to Belarus’s digital future. You can find detailed instructions on the law-related topics here.
Organisations providing other support to refugees
Address: Pobeditelei Av. 3-22, 220004 Minsk, Belarus
Tel: +375 (17) 380 1949
Email: caritasby@gmail.com
Caritas Belarus is a Christian charity that works proactively with several groups of people, including refugees. It runs canteens offering free food and shelter, social support services such as home nursing care for older people, and jail visits. Caritas Belarus has four diocesan offices and a national office in Minsk. Together with Malteser International, Caritas Belarus distributes aid to migrants who are currently stranded at the borders with the European Union.
Address: Secretariat (Minsk) 35 Karl Marx str., 22030, Minsk
Tel: +375 (17) 263-84-17
Email: info@redcross.by
Belarus Red Cross (BRC) is part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, the world’s largest humanitarian network. The Movement is bound by seven fundamental principles, including humanity, impartiality, and neutrality, so they help people according to need and do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, nationality, sex, gender, or disability. All national societies in the Movement can help you to trace family members who you have been separated from or who have gone missing due to conflict or natural disaster.
Due to the head of the organisation being active in the abduction and deportation of Ukrainian children from Russian-occupied areas to Belarus, the IFRC has suspended the Belarus Red Cross since October 2023 but the Belarus Red Cross is still active.
Address: 3, Korolya str., room 8 Minsk, 220004, Belarus (legal) or PO Box 245, 220050 Minsk, Belarus (for posting)
Tel: +375 (17) 209 57 40
Email: evolutio@evolutio.info
Ina “Evolutio” is a partner of UNHCR in Belarus and is dedicated to raising awareness, fostering education, and conducting research on international law, human rights, and international relations. Evolutio actively works to spread information about refugee issues and legislation in Belarus. It aims to combat prejudice and foster positive attitudes towards refugees within Belarusian society. The organisation directly targets schoolchildren, students, educators, and officials to increase understanding and empathy. Evolutio also provides humanitarian assistance to vulnerable populations, including refugees, within Belarus. They provide information about refugee law in Belarus here (in Russian). Evolutio also details organisations dealing with refugee issues.
Address (Belarus): Pereulok Gorny, 3 220005, Minsk, Belarus
Tel: + 375 (17) 288 27 42 (landline 1) or + 375 (17) 228 27 43 (landline 2)
Email: iomminsk@iom.int
International Organization for Migration (IOM) assists foreign citizens with voluntary return to their countries of origin and provides consultations on safe travel and stay abroad. Over the years, IOM Belarus has been implementing projects on combating human trafficking, labour migration, integrated border management, cross-border cooperation, migration and health, and crisis response. With an increasing number of vulnerable migrants and refugees in Belarus recently, IOM has intensified its crisis response activities, providing direct assistance to beneficiaries, including food and non-food items, accommodation, transportation, psychosocial support and psychological assistance, medical assistance, employment support, vocational training, and voluntary return to the country of origin. In addition to the main office in Minsk, IOM is present in Gomel, Mogilev, Vitebsk, Grodno and Brest to ensure comprehensive and prompt assistance. To see the addresses of the following sites, please click here.
Email: hopeandhumanitypl@gmail.com
Hope and Humanity is a Polish organisation, which provides remote assistance at the Polish-Belarusian Border. They buy and deliver food, find and pay for a safe haven, purchase over-the-counter drugs (and help arrange free medical consultations for prescription drugs and medical tests), organise safe taxis from the border strip back to the city, purchase airline tickets, and organise visas to countries where the lives of the persons concerned are not directly endangered.
Belarus LGBTQI+ Resources
Find organisations working for refugee LGBTQI+ rights in Belarus.
Belarus COI
Find Belarus Country of Origin information (COI) experts, reports, commentaries, and relevant documents.
We are always looking to expand the resources on our platform. If you know about relevant resources, or you are aware of organisations and/or individuals to include in our directories, please get in touch.
Last updated March 2025
