"Overcoming Obstacles: Belarusians Striving to Rebuild Lives Abroad Amid Repression"

Belarusians who fled the country following a crackdown on political dissent by authoritarian leader Alexander Lukashenko are facing new hurdles as their passports expire and Belarus stops renewing passports at its embassies abroad. This leaves many Belarusians abroad without valid documents, making them vulnerable to politically motivated prosecution if they have to return to Belarus to process their documents. Lithuania and Poland are issuing temporary "foreigner's passports" to verify identity and allow travel, but a long-term solution is needed. The opposition leader-in-exile, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, has proposed a "Passport of New Belarus" to serve as a travel document for Belarusians abroad, seeking recognition from EU countries. The UN Human Rights Commission has called on Minsk to annul the decree, which restricts the rights of exiled Belarusians, including registering births and granting citizenship to children born abroad.