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"Trapped in administrative limbo": Belarusians in Poland face growing barriers to legal stay and asylum

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A queue in front of the Foreigners' Affairs Office building. Warsaw, Poland. September 26, 2024. Photo: Belsat

An increasing number of Belarusians in Poland are encountering legal challenges and uncertainties, including the risk of deportation back to Belarus, where they may face repression. The shift in the Polish government's stance towards Belarusian emigrants was highlighted on August 31 by the Partyzanka initiative in their report titled "Systemic Legal Vulnerability of Belarusian 'Relocants' in Poland: A Response to the Need for Procedural Legalization of Stay."