German diplomat announces lifting moratorium on admitting Belarusians for humanitarian reasons
August 23, Pozirk. Michael Nowak, division head at the Federal Foreign Office, announced the lifting of Germany’s moratorium on admitting Belarusian nationals on humanitarian grounds.
According to the German human rights Telegram channel SaveHumVisa22, the announcement was made at the foreign ministry’s open house, held on Saturday and Sunday.
The Telegram channel was launched about a month ago to support the issuance of humanitarian visas to Russians and Belarusians. It has quoted Nowak, a former chargé d’affaires in Belarus, as saying that German agencies are already discussing the conditions for resuming the distribution of these visas.
Michael Nowak delivers a farewell address in Belarusian before leaving for his homeland. Minsk, July 10, 2024.
“It is the right and timely decision. We are grateful to the German foreign ministry, members of the Bundestag, and the European Parliament, with whom we have been in contact over the past few weeks,” Franak Viačorka told Pozirk.
Śviatłana Cichanoŭskaja’s adviser said, “We explained why humanitarian visas are important for Belarusians from a practical and symbolic standpoint.”
“We are happy that this moratorium has been lifted. I hope the decision will help preserve people’s freedom, because the repression is intensifying rather than stopping,” he said.
Viačorka stated that Germany is well aware of developments in Belarus, which is why support for the repressed and civil society continues.
Libereco urges Germany to resume issuance of visas to Belarusian refugees
August 7, Pozirk. Libereco, a Swiss-German advocacy group, has appealed to the German government to resume the issuance of visas to Belarusians persecuted for political reasons. “Stop turning your back on those persecuted for political motives in Belarus!” it said. The German …
