As a result of the repression in Belarus, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs calls for discussions on more flexible rules for asylum seekers

In connection with the assistance to the people of Belarus, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) encourages the start of discussions on more flexible rules for asylum seekers in Latvia.

According to the LTV program “de facto” This suggestion comes after the problems faced by asylum seekers here have been pointed out by both the volunteers who help these people and the Belarusians themselves.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs explains that a lot has changed since the beginning of August, speeding up the processing of visas from three days to one, as well as providing other types of support. However, the Ministry also acknowledges that there are cases when it has been necessary to look for individual solutions, for example, thinking about what to do if a student with a child plans to come to Latvia with a student visa, which is a non-standard situation. In addition, if the speed of visa processing is largely resolved, there are still problems ahead, which are already the responsibility of other ministries.

“Yes, there have been delays, there have been and there are problems now. There are people who have applied for asylum status and then only realized that while this process is in place, they cannot work, and this is a problem that our volunteers also address, ”says Zanda Kalniņa-Lukaševica (JV), Parliamentary Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Although the discussions on refugee reception and migration issues in Latvia have been very difficult so far, the ministry says that the Belarusian context opens up a different perspective on this issue, and it is probably time for a broader discussion.

However, the Immigration Law is in the hands of the Ministry of the Interior (MoI), and the fact that the initiative should thus come directly from this ministry is indicated by both the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Prime Minister’s Office, where “de facto the answer was given to the Minister of the Interior. there is a need to provide a clear vision and proposals on how to facilitate and simplify the conditions of residence for asylum seekers from Belarus.

“Of course, it is interesting to hear that the Ministry of the Interior has something more to do. It must be said that we have already done a lot, ”says the Minister of the Interior Sandis Ģirģens (KPV LV). He pointed out that the new Immigration Law had already been drafted and submitted for approval, which provided for a shortening of the period during which asylum seekers may not work from six to three months.

Neither the Ministry of the Interior nor any other government has any information on when this bill could also be on the government’s agenda. Girgens predicts that this will not happen sooner than the completion of the next annual budget. In his view, the speed of assistance and decision-making cannot be made an end in itself, as it cannot be ruled out that there is in fact someone associated with the Belarusian security services.

“So there can be no such thing as a simple, quick policy, please drive everyone in, open borders. There must be a balance. Our services, as the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs and the Security Service, must be able to distinguish between people who are in our national interests and those who are not, ”said Gergerns.

At the same time, the capacity of the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs and security services should be strengthened so that documents and security considerations can be assessed more quickly. The demand for additional funds has remained unanswered, the minister said.

On November 8, LETA reported that the State Border Guard had received seven more Belarusian citizens’ applications for asylum in Latvia after the presidential elections in Belarus, thus a total of 20 such applications had been received.

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