New Belarus passport unlikely to gain recognition soon – MEP

January 3, Pozirk. The New Belarus passport lacks many essential components, including sovereignty and territoriality, for international recognition, Petras Auštrevičius, a Lithuanian MEP and permanent rapporteur on Belarus, told Voice of America.

The Belarusian opposition’s passport project has little prospect of being recognized soon, he noted, suggesting taking more practical steps, such as issuing ID papers for political asylum seekers.

The expiration of passports is fraught with “very specific problems,” but many countries where exiled Belarusians are staying are ready to solve them, MEP added. 

In early September 2023, Alaksandar Łukašenka signed Edict No 278 prescribing the Belarusian embassies and consulates to stop providing passport and notary services to Belarusians abroad.

The Belarusian opposition, the European Union, the United States and human rights groups criticized the edict as a violation of the exiled Belarusians’ rights.

The opposition’s new passport project would help thousands who have fled the country for safety reasons and cannot renew their Belarusian IDs. It may be also useful if authorities start implementing the amended citizenship law, which allows authorities to deprive Belarusians of citizenship obtained by birth if they were convicted on extremism-related charges and fled persecution.