Since Sweden’s laws allow for obtaining a residence permit even in cases where the national passport is absent or cannot be obtained, the Swedish migration service has released a legal position, taking into account the situation in Belarus.
The position explains two major points. First, Sweden will not require valid documents and a Belarusian passport for the legalization of stay and will issue local documents based on other grounds. Second, Sweden will not require documents that Belarus no longer issues in its consular missions. Belarusians living in Sweden will be able to obtain alien documents and residence permits even with expired passports.
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s Advisor for Constitutional Reform and Interparliamentary Cooperation, Anatoli Liabedzka, explains the importance of this decision. It was crucial to create a precedent.
“The ice melted when, during Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s visit to Germany, Berlin agreed to recognize expired passports. And now the authorities of European countries consider Belarusians’ requests, either by changing the laws or by providing additional interpretation of existing norms”, comments Mr. Liabedzka.
