The Council of Europe PA’s Committee on Migration, Refugees and Displaced Persons has presented a document titled “The Luxembourg Solutions: Outcomes and Perspectives”. It summarizes the challenges faced by Belarusians in exile after the 2020 presidential election and outlines specific solutions and recommendations to support people in exile. The document focuses on what national parliaments and governments can do in this regard.
Read Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s Office’s summary of these recommendations below.
- Legal entry and residence:
- Simplified visa issuance for Belarusians in Council of Europe member states;
- Guaranteed right to asylum and multiple-entry visa issuance;
- A network of consultation centers for Belarusians abroad.
- Threats to freedom of movement and denial of consular services:
- Solutions to document-related issues: alien passports and travel documents, suspended requirement for apostilles and certificates, and recognition of expired passports for residence legalization purposes and the New Belarus passport;
- Simplified procedures for obtaining international protection.
- Domestic repression:
- Support for the relatives of political prisoners in Belarus;
- International alliances to help political prisoners.
- Access to education:
- Equal access to education for Belarusian children abroad;
- Support programs for the Belarusian language and culture;
- Simplified procedures for diploma recognition and teacher employment.
- Professional careers and entrepreneurship:
- Promotion of Belarusian businesses abroad and facilitation of their integration into local markets;
- Assistance to Belarusian lawyers and journalists in exile.
- Preservation and promotion of Belarusian cultural identity:
- Support for Belarusian culture and language through cultural projects, translations, and international events;
- New Belarusian cultural institutions abroad.
The Luxembourg Solutions are not just a formal list of proposals but a practical tool for cooperation with the parliaments and MPs of all PACE member countries. Being an official document of an international organization with specific recommendations for national parliaments, it cannot be ignored.
The Luxembourg Solutions give Belarusian diasporas, People’s Embassies, civic organizations, and initiatives a foundation for incorporating all the adopted decisions into the national legislation of the countries where they reside. To achieve this, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s Office urges all concerned parties to contact groups “For a Democratic Belarus” in their respective countries and commence cooperation.
