News Archive

UNHCR launches new online database with human rights and refugee information in Russian.

The Regional Workshop on Awareness-Raising On Refugees and Promoting Their Integration Among General Public In Belarus, Moldova and Ukraine took place on November 27—28, 2013 in Kishinev. The event was organized by the UNHCR Regional Representation for Belarus, Moldova and Ukraine in the framework of the EU—UNHCR Project «Local Integration of Refugees in Belarus, Moldova and Ukraine (phase II)».

On October 26—31, 2013, during the autumn school holidays Center for Children and Adolescents “Evrika” (CCA “Evrika”) organized conducting of the educational training “Volunteer Movement” within the framework of the annual outdoor school for refugee children. The purpose of the training consisted in education in behaviors of adolescents of moral guidelines, development the senses of empathy and mutual assistance. Afghan children at the age of 7—17 years who are refugees participated in the training.

On November 20, 2013, refugee cases in practice of courts workshop took place in the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in the Republic of Belarus. The participants of the workshop were the following: representatives of the UNHCR Office, Human Rights Consultant of the UN Representation in the Republic of Belarus, Senior coordinator on the Protection of children’s rights of the United Nations Children's Fund, Main Specialist of the Division on Refugees and Asylum Issues of the Department on Citizenship and Migration of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Belarus, Chairman and Judge of the Minsk Court of Central District, judges of the Supreme Court of the Republic of Belarus and Minsk City Court, Advocate of the Specialized Advocate Bureau No 1 of Minsk City, and Head of Legal Unit of Refugee Counselling Service of the “Belarusian Movement of Medical Workers”. The main purpose of the workshop was the discussion of the characteristics of judicial review of the refugee cases.

On November 18, 2013, the events devoted to the International Day for Tolerance (November 16) took place at the Belarusian State University of Culture and Arts. Students of the first-year of the specialization management of the international cultural relations met everyone who entered the hall of the building with cheerful hugs; they favored students, lecturers and visitors of the University with these hugs. After the flesh mob all the students went to the auditorium to listen to the lecture with participation of the invited guests.

On November 14, 2013 a round table on the issues of multicultural education for the members of the regional education departments and representatives of educational institutions of Brest and Brest region took place on the basis of Brest Regional Lyceum named after P. Masherov. The event was organized by the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Belarus, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Office in the Republic of Belarus, Education Department of Brest Region Executive Committee and International Non-governmental Association for Scientific Research, Information and Educational Programmes «Evolutio». The event was held in the framework of the EU—UNHCR Project «Local Integration of Refugees in Belarus, Moldova and Ukraine (phase II)».

Number of recognized refugees in the Republic of Belarus — 871 (by November 1, 2013)

Country Origin Information of Refugees (September 2013) (rus) was placed on our website

On October 31, 2013 the Section «Migration, Refugees and Tolerance Issues in Contemporary World» was held in the framework of the XII International Scientific Conference «Belarus in Contemporary World». The event was conducted jointly by the UNHCR Office in the Republic of Belarus, the Faculty of International Relations of BSU and the International Non-governmental Association for Scientific Research, Information and Educational Programmes «Evolutio».

On 30 October – 1 November 2013 UNHCR Belarus held the seminar «Decision-making process in refugee status determination procedure». The event was carried out within the framework of the project “Asylum Systems Quality Initiative in Eastern Europe and South Caucasus”. The representatives of the Department on Citizenship and Migration of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Belarus and its regional sub-detachments took part in the event. The main purpose of the seminar was to improve the quality of individual asylum claims’ assessment conducted by state asylum authorities, ensure fair and balanced decision-making within the framework of state refugee determination (RSD) procedure as well as the fact that asylum-seekers and refugees enjoy in reality all rights provided according to the 1951 Convention and national legislation.