Statement by the delegation of Belarus at the 96th meeting of the Standing Committee of UNHCR

Mr. Chairman,

We have taken note of the update on the work to address statelessness.

In the Republic of Belarus, issues of statelessness are regulated primarily by the Constitution. According to Article 10 of the Constitution, no one may be deprived of Belarusian citizenship or the right to change citizenship. According to Article 11, stateless persons in Belarus enjoy rights and freedoms and fulfill obligations equally with citizens of the Republic of Belarus, unless otherwise provided by the Constitution, laws, and international treaties.

The status of stateless persons is regulated by a number of legislative and regulatory acts, the main ones of which are the Laws of the Republic of Belarus «On the legal status of foreign citizens and stateless persons in the Republic of Belarus» and «On citizenship of the Republic of Belarus».

Currently, stateless persons permanently residing in Belarus, with the exception of the right to vote, employment in the civil service, and membership in political parties and other public associations created and operating in Belarus that pursue political goals, fully enjoy the rights and freedoms within the country on an equal basis with citizens of Belarus.

It's worth noting the annual decline in the number of permanently residing stateless persons in the country. In 2024, 5,352 stateless persons permanently resided in Belarus. In 2025, there were 5,300 such persons in the country.

Currently, there are a small number of individuals with an unsettled legal status in the Republic of Belarus. It's safe to say that almost everyone who wanted to have already acquired Belarusian citizenship or is in the process of doing so.

Given that some of these citizens are in a difficult situation, in cooperation with the UNHCR Office in Belarus they are being assisted to re-socialize into Belarusian society.

We note that at present the problem of statelessness is not acute for Belarus. Measures are being taken, including at the legislative level, to ensure the rights of this category of persons, minimize negative consequences related to their legal status, aim at reducing and preventing statelessness, as well as the socio-economic rights of permanent residents equal to those of Belarusian citizens. The issue of stateless children has been fully resolved: all children born in Belarus to stateless parents become Belarusian citizens upon birth.

I thank you.

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