Belarus Exodus: People Fleeing For Their Freedom And Rights

Belarus has been facing a political crisis since the 2020 presidential election, which saw authoritarian leader Alexander Lukashenko declared the winner despite the vote being widely dismissed as fraudulent. In the aftermath of the election, Lukashenko violently cracked down on protests, with thousands of people arrested, beaten, and tortured. This led to sanctions from the EU and other Western countries, which in turn led to Lukashenko threatening to flood the EU with migrants and drugs. In 2021, the Belarusian government began coordinating an influx of migrants, mostly from the Middle East and North Africa, to the borders of Lithuania, Poland, and Latvia. This created a humanitarian crisis, with migrants facing violence, inhumane conditions, and abuse at the hands of Belarusian forces. Many Belarusians have also fled the country due to political persecution, with students and activists facing expulsion, imprisonment, and exile for speaking out against the government.

People escaping Belarus face persecution for their political views

Belarusians have been fleeing their country and seeking asylum in other nations, with Poland, the United States, and Israel being the most common destinations. In 2023, 7,315 people from Belarus fled and applied for asylum abroad. This exodus can be attributed to the political persecution and repression individuals face for expressing dissenting views and supporting opposition movements.

Under the authoritarian rule of President Alexander Lukashenko, Belarus has witnessed a crackdown on freedom of speech and assembly. Students and young people have been at the forefront of those facing persecution. Hundreds of students have been expelled from universities, jailed, or forced into exile for speaking out against the government and participating in protests. The "Student Initiative Group," a union of students from 15 Belarusian universities, reported that 415 students had been arrested during protests since September 2020. Additionally, 135 students had been expelled, and charges had been brought against 27 others.

The situation worsened in October 2020 when Lukashenko threatened to expel students who supported nationwide strikes. This led to a wave of students fleeing the country, fearing imprisonment and persecution. Many have sought refuge in neighboring countries like Ukraine, where they continue to advocate for a more democratic Belarus.

Belarusian security forces, including the KGB, have been complicit in the persecution of individuals with opposing political views. They have conducted interrogations, searches, and arrests, creating an atmosphere of fear and intimidation. The government has also employed violent tactics to suppress protests, with thousands of people beaten and arrested during demonstrations.

The 2020 presidential election, which was widely believed to be rigged, sparked mass protests and further intensified the government's crackdown. Western countries refused to recognize the election results, and the European Union imposed sanctions on Belarusian officials. In response, Lukashenko threatened to retaliate by allowing migrants and drugs into the EU, demonstrating his willingness to use vulnerable populations as a tool to exert pressure on the bloc.

The divergence in political ideologies and the oppressive actions of the Lukashenko regime have driven many Belarusians to seek refuge in other countries, where they can express their views freely and without fear of persecution.

The country's leader, Alexander Lukashenko, has been accused of rigging elections

In the 2020 presidential election, Lukashenko was declared the winner, despite widespread allegations of fraud. Lukashenko was announced to have received 80% of the vote, while opposition candidate Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya was said to have received only 10%. However, this result has been disputed by the opposition and independent observers, who claim that Tsikhanouskaya won the election.

There is significant evidence of electoral fraud presented by poll workers, independent platforms, and opposition groups. Poll workers have come forward with accounts of being pressured to falsify results in favour of Lukashenko, and in some cases, being fired or intimidated for pointing out violations. Independent platforms that encouraged voters to upload photos of their ballots reported receiving over 1.2 million submissions, with results showing Tsikhanouskaya as the clear winner. Additionally, the Exit Poll Abroad initiative, which organised exit polls for Belarusians voting overseas, also reported a landslide victory for Tsikhanouskaya, with 86.9% of the diaspora's vote.

Furthermore, the "Student Initiative Group", a union of students from 15 Belarusian universities, reported that 415 students have been arrested during protests since September 2020. Students have faced expulsion, jail time, and interrogation by the police and KGB for speaking out against the government and participating in demonstrations. The situation worsened after Lukashenko announced his intention to expel students who supported nationwide strikes, stating, "Send them to the military or throw them out on the street."

The European Union and the United States have condemned the 2020 election as neither free nor fair, and EU foreign ministers are preparing sanctions against senior Belarusian officials. The opposition has called for a new election to be conducted by a new Central Electoral Committee with unlimited access for international election monitoring missions and domestic observers.

Lukashenko's regime has been accused of using migrants as pawns

In May 2021, President Lukashenko of Belarus declared that his country would no longer enforce border controls with the EU as retaliation for sanctions against his regime. He stated: "We stopped drugs and migrants. Now you will eat them and catch them yourselves." Since then, thousands of migrants, mainly from the Middle East, have been attempting to cross into Poland and other EU countries such as Latvia, Lithuania, and Germany.

EU leaders have accused Lukashenko's regime of orchestrating the illegal passage of migrants from war-torn and impoverished countries into Poland and other EU nations. They suspect this is in retaliation for EU sanctions placed on Belarus after the bloc accused Lukashenko of stealing the 2020 election and ordering human rights violations.

There is evidence to support these accusations. Travel agencies across the Middle East have been working with Belarusian companies to provide visas, flights, and accommodation in Minsk. Migrants have also reported being brought to the border in cars or buses believed to be provided by the regime. Belarusian soldiers have also been reported to escort migrants to the border and help them cross.

Furthermore, Lukashenko himself has made contradictory statements on the matter. In an interview with the BBC, he denied inviting migrants to the border but admitted that his forces may have helped them cross into Poland: "We're Slavs. We have hearts. Our troops know the migrants are going to Germany...Maybe someone helped them. I won't even look into this."

The EU, NATO, and the US have accused Lukashenko of luring migrants to the border with false promises of easy entry to the EU, which he has denied. The EU has described Lukashenko's approach to the migrant issue as "inhuman, gangster-style". Poland's deputy foreign minister, Marcin Przydacz, has called it a "kind of weaponization of migration".

As a result of the crisis, Poland has been criticized by humanitarian groups and rights advocates for pushing migrants back to Belarus without reviewing their asylum applications, in violation of EU law and UN conventions on refugees.

Students are being expelled and jailed for protesting against the government

Students in Belarus have been expelled from universities and jailed for protesting against the government. The protests began in the lead-up to the 2020 presidential election, in which Lukashenko sought his sixth term in office. The demonstrations intensified after the official election results were announced on 9 August, with Lukashenko declared the winner. The main opponent of Lukashenko, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, rejected the results as falsified.

In response to the protests, Lukashenko called for universities to dismiss students who were involved in the demonstrations. As a result, at least 153 students have been arbitrarily expelled from universities, and many have fled to neighbouring countries out of fear for their safety. Additionally, at least 466 students have been detained, and 42 have become suspects in criminal cases, with six being sentenced to jail terms.

The targeting of politically active students is not a new tactic of the Belarusian authorities. However, the scale of harassment, persecution, and violence against them is unprecedented in the country's post-independence history. Amnesty International has called on the Belarusian authorities to immediately end the repression against students and respect their right to peacefully express their opinions.

The situation in Belarus worsened in October 2020 when Lukashenko said he would expel students supporting nationwide strikes. "Send them to the military or throw them out on the street," the leader demanded. On 12 November 2020, known as "Black Thursday," the authorities launched a criminal investigation against 11 student activists and one teacher, many of whom were apprehended at their homes. Their trial started in May 2021 and is expected to continue until mid-June. All the students face charges under Article 342 of the country's criminal code, which carries a prison sentence of up to two years.

Human rights violations, including torture, have been documented in Belarus

Amnesty International has documented evidence of brutal violence and human rights violations by Belarusian forces against asylum seekers and migrants. Testimonies reveal that people, including families with children, were beaten with batons and rifle butts and threatened with security dogs. They were also forced to cross the border in dangerous conditions, facing hunger, exposure, and brutality from both Belarusian and Polish authorities. Belarusian officials also took advantage of people entering fenced areas, beating and robbing them.

The Belarusian authorities have also been accused of luring refugees and migrants with false promises of easy passage into the EU, only to violently force them across the border, where they faced pushbacks and further human rights violations. This has resulted in thousands of people being stranded in Belarus, facing precarious conditions and brutal violence.

In addition to the violence inflicted on refugees and migrants, the Belarusian government has also been accused of widespread human rights violations against its own citizens. This includes the suppression of dissent, with students and activists being expelled, jailed, or exiled for speaking out against the government. The justice system has been abused to silence dissent, with arbitrary arrests, detentions, and politically motivated prosecutions. The right to freedom of expression, association, and peaceful assembly has been severely curtailed.

The situation in Belarus has led to a significant number of people fleeing the country, seeking asylum in neighbouring countries, and facing dangerous journeys and harsh conditions.

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