Anaïs Marin: Poland, Don't Deport Belarusians

A former UN special rapporteur has appealed to the Polish authorities.

Former UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Belarus Anaïs Marin wrote an article for an influential Polish publication “Gazeta Wyborcza”. In it, she shared her perspective on the current state of affairs in Belarus, the situation of Belarusians in Poland, drew several conclusions, and addressed the Polish government.

The website Charter97.org provides a Russian translation:

— In recent months, dozens of Belarusian refugees have approached me asking for intervention regarding the actions of the Polish authorities. The Belarusians filed asylum claims but were denied. Intervening in individual cases falls outside the scope of authority of independent experts at the UN. Nevertheless, I have the right—and consider it my duty—to express my conviction that the majority of Belarusian refugees would face repression if they were sent back to their homeland.

Deporting them back there would make Poland an accomplice to serious violations of international and European law in this area.

Most people who have fled Belarus—the “fugitives,” as Lukashenko calls them—are viewed as traitors. If, during their exile in a country where freedom of speech is guaranteed, they criticized the regime, its policies, or called for sanctions, they could face charges of extremism and severe punishment: years in prison accompanied by torture, and possibly even the revocation of their citizenship.

It is precisely this threat that forces opponents of the regime who have remained in Belarus to resort to self-censorship. However, it would be a mistake to assume that those who have left the country are out of danger. Today, it is not only political activists who participated in the 2020 anti-government demonstrations who are at risk of repression.

People who emigrated to Poland “for economic reasons,” on a student visa, or for the purpose of family reunification have also found themselves in the KGB’s crosshairs.

Belarusians who have been living in Poland for several years and who are being denied residence permit extensions or international protection are told that “they should have applied for asylum earlier,” that they were “minor opposition figures” or “not active enough.”

Some of the justifications given—for example, the claim that the human rights situation in Belarus has improved (in 2025, “elections” were held and political prisoners were released)— — can only be explained by ignorance or cynicism.

Every week, Belarusians are arbitrarily detained—either in Belarus itself or while crossing the border—because the KGB has identified them in photographs from the 2020 demonstrations or from protests that have taken place since then outside the country. None of these circumstances constitutes an obstacle.

From the perspective of immigration law, this makes them so-called “on-the-spot” (sur place), whose deportation is strictly prohibited: they did not apply for asylum immediately because they did not know in good faith (bona fide) that the repression would intensify and take on a cross-border character. Sending them back to Belarus now would put them in serious danger.

However, as Anaïs Marin writes, Belarusians forced to live in exile feel caught between a rock and a hard place:

— Host countries have become more suspicious—and the blame for this lies with the Belarusian regime’s hybrid attacks. The regime’s use of migrants from third countries since 2021 has intensified anti-immigrant sentiment.

There is noticeable fatigue and a decline in tolerance toward refugees fleeing war, which is leading to growing hostility not only toward Ukrainians but also toward Belarusians, who are perceived as aggressors and opportunists. Worse still, the recruitment of migrants “from the East” to carry out sabotage and subversive activities in EU countries has prompted some of these nations to tighten entry and residence conditions for Belarusians in the name of national security.

Does this apply to Poland? Although the law on foreigners is still under discussion, changes are already noticeable: for the first time in the first half of 2026, there were more rejections than approvals of asylum applications from Belarusians. If this is a new trend, it is quite understandable that it is causing them concern.

Human rights activists are also voicing concern: if international law prohibits deportation to countries deemed “unsafe,” why is Poland deporting Belarusians in this manner? As in other parts of Europe during election years, far-right ideas are gaining popularity, and even such well-integrated immigrants as Belarusians—who contribute significantly to the prosperity of the Polish economy—are now paying the price for this.

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