Statement by Permanent Representative L.Belskaya at the 115th session of the Council of the International Organisation for Migration

Mister Chair,
Madam Director General,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

First of all, I would like to extend congratulations to DG Amy Pope on her successful and very impressive first year in the Office.

Belarus highly values constructive and result-oriented cooperation with IOM. Recently approved joint project focused on, strengthening national capacity in addressing irregular migration will contribute significantly to a sustainable and effective national border management with respect to migrants' rights and their safety in compliance with international and humanitarian law.  

The illegal sanctions imposed by the EU against Belarus have led to the collapse of previously successful joint border management.

In 2023, dozens criminal cases have been initiated by the national law enforcement against migrant smugglers who tried to use Belarus as a transit corridor for entry into the EU of several hundred groups of irregular migrants. All detected illegals were subject to administrative penalties, expelled from the country and banned from entering Belarus. However, no single country can tackle the challenges of irregular migration and migrants smuggling.

Belarus constantly calls upon EU and neighboring Poland, Lithuania and Latvia, as well as other transit and destination states – to resume constructive professional dialogue on migration issues and find ways to safe human lives at the common border. They prefer, unfortunately, to build barriers at the border, militarize boundary region, humiliating and beatings people including most vulnerable, and using against them violent practices of push-backs. All this continue to make people on the move suffering. During the last few years, we have recorded 70 deaths of migrants who were pushed-back from the EU territory. The number of injured counts hundreds.

Dealing with irregular migration and protection human rights of migrants were in focus of the international conference that was held in Minsk on 15th of November. We very much appreciate IOM participation in this event, which brought together national profile agencies, civil society as well as representative of diplomatic corps and specialized international organizations. I believe that this conference will contribute to more comprehensive response to irregular migration, while enhancing protection and human rights of all vulnerable people on the move.

Mr. Chair,

This year, the Government of Belarus approved the Concept of migration policy for 2024-2028. It recognizes the link between development and migration. To balance labour market gaps in certain sectors of economy the Concept envisages measures to facilitate migration, including simplification of employment procedures for those foreigners who have received higher and secondary education in Belarus. Among priorities — integration of migrants into Belarussian society and labour market.

To develop regular migration pathway, we use the opportunities of regional integration, in particular, the development of a common migration space with Russia, cooperation on migration issues within the Eurasian Economic Union and CIS.

We are also interested in IOM’s assistance in studying best practices in facilitating pathways for regular migration, as it relates to the needs of the Belarusian labour market.

In conclusion, Belarus welcomes the IOM Strategic Plan and will continue to support efforts to achieve the goals of the Global Compact and to ensure that migration is safe, orderly and humane and work for the benefit of countries of origin, transit and destination.

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