Sweden ready to issue foreigners’ travel IDs to Belarusians with expired passports

March 27, Pozirk. Belarusians with expired passports will be able to obtain foreigners’ travel IDs in Sweden, says a document posted on the Swedish Migration Agency’s website.

Belarusian nationals should have the opportunity to obtain valid IDs when they cannot do it at home or at Belarusian diplomatic missions abroad, the document noted.

Swedish migration authorities should process foreigners’ ID applications by Belarusians by assessing each individual case against risks and difficulties associated with travel to the country of origin.

Considering current circumstances, Belarusians should not be forced to travel to their home country to obtain a passport, according to the document.

The validity of a foreigner’s ID issued to a Belarusian national who cannot renew his or her passport should not extend to Belarus, migration authorities stressed.

In September 2023, Alaksandar Łukašenka signed Edict No 278 ordering embassies and consulates to stop providing passport and notary services to Belarusians abroad.

The Belarusian opposition, the European Union, the United States and human rights groups criticized the edict as a violation of the exiled Belarusians’ rights.

Human rights groups report numerous cases of arrests of Belarusians at the border after their return from abroad.

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