On June 18, 2013 press-conference devoted to the World Refugee Day was held in Minsk National Press Centre.
 | Jean Yves Bouchardy, UNHCR Representative in the Republic of Belarus, Alexander Tatura, Deputy Head of the Department on Citizenship and Migration, and Alexander Svidersky, Head of the Division of the Department on International Cooperation, took part in the event. |
Jean Yves Bouchardy in his speech welcomed the participants and congratulated everyone on the World Refugee Day thus expressing the respect for people who were forced to leave their home because of the circumstances to save their life and dignity. According to him, over the years the faces of refugees have changed — from the refugees of the Second World War in Europe to those from South East Asia, Africa and the Middle East. This is still a reality in today’s world. Protecting the persecuted, the weak and the vulnerable is UNHCR’s obligation.
The past 24 months have been some of the most challenging in the UNHCR’s history. Multiple concurrent emergencies have forced more people to flee across borders in 2011 and 2013 than in the previous seven years combined.
Jean Yves Bouchardy noted that after the mass displacement and enormous humanitarian challenges of 2011 (crisis in Libya), the year 2012 was even worse (crisis in Syria). More than a million people fled their countries of origin due to conflict and persecution, mainly from Syria, Mali, Sudan and the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. That is the highest number of newly displaced refugees during any 12-month period since the beginning of the 21st century.
He also presented statistics to the journalists. Last year was another year of successful cooperation between UNHCR and the Government in Belarus. Overall, 106 new asylum-seekers applied for protection in 2012, 16 persons were granted refugee status (15 %), 2 persons got complementary protection, 20 refugees were naturalized. The number of stateless persons went down by 5.7 % during 2012 (6 969 stateless persons as of January 1, 2013). The UNHCR’s best knowledge of the principle of non-refoulement was fully observed and all asylum applications were registered and proceed by the authorities. UNHCR had unhindered access to asylum-seekers and irregular migrants, even to those held in temporary detention centers of border detachments of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, pending determination of their personal identity. Moreover, in 2012 important steps have been taken to further facilitation of the socio-economic integration of refugees into the Belarusian society. Joint projects under integration program focus on language learning, civic and formal education, employment and housing as well as public awareness building.
Jean Yves Bouchardy drew attention to the fact that on World Refugee Day UNHCR aims to mobilize all of the donors and stakeholders to join them to echo the same strong message: one family torn apart by war is too many. He expressed desire to continue striving to ensure that all people displaced by conflict get the support they need to build a better life and to give attention to finding a long-overdue solution to the plight of refugees, so that they may also see an end to so many years of dispossession and displacement.
2012 was an enormously challenging year for UNHCR and the humanitarian community in general. The first months of 2013 give little reason to hope that the pressure on the organization will ease significantly in the near future — on the contrary. To be able to cope, UNHCR will continue to focus on stronger partnerships, bolster emergency response capacity, and address identified gaps while seizing opportunities for innovation and simplification. Beyond that, further strengthening UNHCR performance in core protection area remains at the heart of organization’s efforts that it is ready for the challenges that lie ahead.
UNHCR has a responsibility to do more to lay the foundation for a more secure and stable world. World Refugee Day 2013 provides UNHCR with a key moment to increase the public’s understanding of who refugees are and why they need UNHCR’s help. But the organization can’t do it alone. It calls the community to think about what it means to be one of those millions of individual human beings. And it is also asking to contribute in whatever way we can help them to rebuild their lives.
At the end of his speech, Jean Yves Bouchardy gave special thanks to the Government of the Republic of Belarus for their considerable achievements in developing a modern asylum system and providing international protection and safe home to refugees. He also expressed hope that UNHCR and the Government will continue further work aimed at solving problems of refugees and asylum-seekers and helping them to become a part of the Belarusian society.
Alexander Tatura in his speech welcomed all the participants of the press conference devoted to World Refugee Day on behalf of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Belarus.
He noted that World Refugee Day has double meaning. This is the day when we express our solidarity with refugees enforced to leave their native home and abandon their motherland in search of asylum due to objective reasons and for safety. On the other hand, World Refugee Day is a peculiar report of our country before the international community about its compliance with conventional obligations on protection of such categories of persons, about the readiness of the state to cooperate with international organizations and other partners in order to create optimal living conditions for refugees, for whom Belarus has become the second motherland.
He also presented statistics. 146 persons out of 857 refugees officially recognized in the Republic of Belarus (each one in five) were granted citizenship of the Republic of Belarus thus having proved that our country which provided them with asylum has become the second home for them. Without any doubts, it is the highest assessment for the country’s activities on refugees’ protection.
On the basis of international practice two decades during which Belarus is undertaking concrete measures to regulate processes of forced migration on the territory of the country, — is a small period for creation of the national asylum system. Having joined in 2001 the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees and 1967 Protocol relating to the Status of Refugees, the Republic of Belarus took over all conventional obligations to protect asylum seekers and refugees and meets them fully.
A. Tatura also noted the fact that our country is conducting a coherent migration policy designed to create an effective asylum system. A central role in the process of creation of the national system based on the international concept of refugees’ protection is given to the state bodies involved in this sphere.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs in the sphere of forced migration is authorized to implement coordination of activities of all republican administrative bodies and to cooperate with other state authorities and organizations. Issues of improvement of the national legislation in the sphere of forced migration as well as strengthening of asylum institute and increasing effectiveness of the international protection of the persons who need it are the most relevant for the Ministry nowadays.
Today the Ministry of Internal Affairs can claim that creation of an effective and stable national asylum system recognized on the international arena as progressive, conforming to conventional requirements and international standards has become the result of 20-year country’s activities. At the same time he noted that contemporary legislative base and professional state authorities united with an effective mechanism of cooperation both between themselves and non-governmental organizations specialized in this sphere form the basis of an acting asylum system in Belarus.
A. Tatura particularly focused on the fact that those positive outcomews reached in the Republic of Belarus are, without any doubts, the result of constructive and fruitful cooperation between the state administrative bodies of our country, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, its Representation in Belarus and other partners.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs highly assesses the UNHCR role in building of the Belarusian asylum system. Important tasks relating to consolidation of organizational and professional capacity of state authorities and non-governmental organizations involved in solution of refugees problems are challenged in the framework of implementation of the joint projects, prospects of integration of this category of persons into the Belarusian society are improved.
Moreover, further development and extension of the joint project activity with the UNHCR on the effective solution of the questions of forced migration are distinguished as foreground directions of cooperation by the Ministry on the current stage.
Finishing his speech, A. Tatura noted that the Ministry of Internal Affairs intends to focus on increasing the effectiveness of the activity on the international protection of asylum seekers and refugees at the same time extending and enhancing cooperation with the partners from the state authorities, non-governmental and international organizations.
Onwards the floor was given to Alexander Svidersky. On behalf of the Sate Border Committee he also welcomed all participants of the event devoted to World Refugee Day.
The State Border Committee representative in his speech announced that work conducted by the border guards on division of mixed migration flows on the border into asylum seekers, illegal migrants and human trafficking victims allows to provide compliance with international obligations taken by the Republic of Belarus in the sphere of migration flows management and work with asylum seekers; to provide unimpeded access to the territory of Belarus and refugee status determination procedure for asylum seekers; to provide respect for inalienable human rights in respect of migrants and refugees. A. Svidersky noted that this work has a significant meaning and is considered by the State Border Committee as one of the components of formation of positive image of Belarus on European and international arena, while on the very entrance to the country it is border guards who are the first officials to face for migrants and refugees in search of better living conditions. In this respect, since 1997 the State Border Committee has been developing rather a successful and fruitful cooperation with the UNHCR aimed at the joint work on the issues on the border with mixed migration flows.
- A. Svidersky stressed that during all these years the following significant results were reached:
- temporary accommodation center for refugees complying with the latest requirements was jointly created in the National Airport «Minsk». It is in full demand;
- an effective functioning of the temporary accommodation center for asylum seekers situated on the territory of Brest border group is supported on the planned basis;
- skills capacity of the Belarusian border guards involved in work with migrants and refugees on the border increased due to the joint development and introduction of the study course on mixed migration flows separation on the state border into the study curriculum for border guards;
- two Internet centers specialized in the issues of mixed migration flows on the border and asylum were created and are functioning on the basis of educational institutions of the border service;
- provision of asylum seekers with legal, consultative and social assistance was organized via the network of non-governmental organizations;
- practice of monitoring visits conduct on the border with participation of the project partners is maintained;
- regular issuance of certificates giving the right to the monitoring group members to conduct monitoring of the border in territorial border services was organized;
- information stands on refugees’ protection issues in the Republic of Belarus are placed in all international border points and temporary detention facilities;
- an automatic system «Refugees» and system «Dacto» designed for identification of foreign citizens detained for violation of the border legislation as well as applying for refugee status is created and functioning successfully.
The State Border Committee representative noted that the work on permanent monitoring of the situation with persons detained for violation of the border legislation of the country conducted by international and non-governmental organizations significantly facilitates border services’ activity in the sphere of migration and asylum management. Thus, continuation of close cooperation between Belarusian border guards, UNHCR and non-governmental organizations in the sphere of irregular migrants has long-term, mutually beneficial effect and is necessary and important.
Taking the opportunity A. Svidersky wished further success to the UNHCR members, both in Belarus and in general, in this difficult but honorable matter aimed at the good and development of the interests of people occurred in complicated position and forced to seek for refuge.
Concluding his speech, the State Border Committee representative expressed hope to continue fruitful cooperation on the basis of accumulated rich experience and desire.
Then participants of press-conference answered questions of journalists.
The first question was addressed to the representative of the State Border Committee of the Republic of Belarus and touched the issue of the ratification of the Belarusian-Ukrainian treaty on the delimitation and demarcation of the state border and further SBC’s steps on demarcation. Alexander Svidersky answered that on June, 18 during the visit of the President of the Republic of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko to Ukraine the exchange of the ratification charters of the treaty on the state border from 1997 took place. And now the State Border Committee is waiting for instructions from the Government to begin the demarcation of the border with Ukraine. According to him establishing of special mixed demarcation commission will be the first step in this direction. It’s expected that during the first session of this special commission further practical steps on demarcation of the state border between Belarus and Ukraine will be defined. As well he noted that the ratification is a long-awaited and joyful event for the SBC because border guards were interested in entering into force of this document for a long time.
The next question concerned of pregnant citizen of the Democratic Republic of Congo who applied for asylum in Belarus. During the passport control at the National airport “Minsk” woman had prenatal state. The journalists asked whether the potential refugees often resort to some tricks in order to apply for refugee status. Alexandr Tatura explained that refugees resort to some tricks very rarely. What concerned this particular case with the citizen of Congo, this woman was really pregnant and felt bad, and medical assistance was provided to her. The term of pregnancy was too early, not at the stage of hospitalization. The citizen of the Congo acted within the law, when she could not get proper protection and support in the country of origin, she asked for assistance in another state. All decisions on applications for refugee status and complimentary protection the Ministry of Internal Affairs accepts objectively, on the base of facts and documents submitted by the applicant.
Also see video on the official website of the ONT Channel