Over 2,500 apply for international protection in Belarus in 2022 – report

June 19, BPN. A human rights group has said that the exact number of dead and missing refugees at the border between Belarus and the European Union (EU) is unknown, citing figures from 2022.

Human Constanta said in a report today that Lithuanian authorities registered at least 30 missing people; the Poles, 37 dead and 317 missing; and the Missing Migrants Project, about 23 people.

The group also said that 2,571 people applied for international protection in Belarus in 2022, five times more than in 2021.

Nineteen were granted refugee status, and 1,540, mostly Ukrainians, received subsidiary protection.

The report noted various difficulties and threats for refugees in Belarus, such as poor access to legal, medical and humanitarian assistance, or intimidation and violence by border guards.

It advised authorities of the countries involved to respect human rights, refrain from using refugees for political pressure, allow access to international organizations and NGOs, and avoid forced “pushbacks” into Belarus.

More than 17,500 people have tried to illegally enter the EU from Belarus since January.