On May 7, 2008 the State Border Committee of the Republic of Belarus, UN High Commissioner for Refugees, International Organization for Migration, the Belarusian Red Cross Society and the Association "Belarusian Movement of Medical Workers" signed a Memorandum of Understanding and Access to the Procedure of Asylum in the Republic of Belarus.
The Memorandum of Understanding is based on the mutual interest, willingness and commitment expressed by the parties to the MoU to implement a unified pre-screening procedure. for foreigners entering the country irregularly. This project is supported and financed by the EU AENEAS project for 2007—2008. This is an important example of partnership between several stakeholders for a shared objective. The procedures defined in this Memorandum of Understanding aim at ensuring adherence to international refugee law and humanitarian protection and assistance for asylum seekers, refugees, victims of human trafficking and economic migrants.
The MoU will further facilitate border monitoring procedures and ensure access of NGOs and UNHCR to detained migrants. The MoU foresees visits for monitoring and for the purposes of counselling on asylum, provision of medical aid and emergency aid (foods, clothing, medicines) as well as assistance with voluntary return (for those who are not eligible for international protection). According to the Memorandum of Understanding, UNHCR and NGO partners will receive from the State Border Committee of the Republic of Belarus statistics on asylum-seekers and information on place of detention, time of detention with information on citizenship, age, sex, etc. UNHCR and NGO partners will carry out training on asylum for field personnel of the State Border Committee.