| 6 March 2007 The Council of Ministers submitted to the Chamber of Representatives for consideration a new draft Law on Provision the Refugee Status, Subsidiary and Provisional Protection in the Republic of Belarus to Foreign Nationals and Stateless Persons. The draft defines a mechanism of state regulation in the field of forced migration, and supplements procedures for reception of the foreigners applying to reside in Belarus. The legal mechanism offered to parliamentarians for consideration includes legal, economic and social guarantees for the protection of rights and legitimate interests of foreigners forced to request protection in Belarus. The law defines procedures for personal identification and refugee status determination, formulates a foreigner’s obligations, and states grounds for suspension and termination of consideration of refugee applications. Important provisions of the law include articles preventing any misuse of the refugee status determination procedure. The refugee status, subsidiary or provisional protection may not be granted to a foreigner who committed a crime against peace or humanity or a grave crime of a non-political character or guilty of taking actions contrary to the UN goals and principles. The Chamber of Representatives intends to consider the new draft law in its spring session. As soon as a new law is adopted the current Law on Refugees will cease to be in force.
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