On the 4th of September 2023, Alexander Lukashenko signed a decree (Decree No. 278 “On the Procedure for Issuing Documents and Performing Actions”) that formally ended the ability of Belarusian embassies and consulates abroad to issue, renew or extend passports for citizens living abroad.
As a result, Belarusian citizens abroad must now return to Belarus in person to renew or obtain a passport. It also applies to other important documents such as IDs, travel documents, certifications, notarizations, real estate administration papers (for example, a power of attorney must be executed in Belarus).
It is widely believed that this targets opposition activists, journalists, dissidents many of whom fled specifically to avoid persecution. As returning to Belarus to renew documents may expose these individuals to arrest or prosecution, the rule creates a serious obstacle to maintaining valid travel/identification documents for exiles, creating additional difficulties for their ability to travel, maintaining legal residence and work abroad. This also causes problems to access banking/medical/university services, and risk of becoming effectively stateless or undocumented.
According to civil‑rights and international observers, the policy is classified as a deliberate “passport ban for citizens abroad.” For critics of the regime, this measure works as a powerful deterrent: effectively forcing a choice between statelessness/undocumented status abroad or risking arrest at home.
According to some human‑rights and exile‑community estimates, between 200,000 and 500,000 Belarusians are living in exile abroad, i.e. the diaspora potentially impacted by this decree.
Tricky situation.
The dissidents can obtain political asylum though.
For the others, a trip back to Belarus once every 10 years shouldn't be too much of a trouble, assuming they want to renew their passport and they don't have obtained a new citizenship in the meantime.
Unfortunately Belarusian citizens are not allowed to apply to CBI programs.
True power moves in silence.
