Rules for foreigners’ staying in Belarus to be reinforced since 1 March :: Charter'97 :: News

Since 1 March punishment for violation of migration law by foreigners will have become harder, it was reported to Interfax in the ministry for internal affairs of Belarus. “In compliance with the new administrative law countermeasures for violation of migration law of Belarus by foreigners will have become harder since 1 March”, the ministry for internal affairs, reported.

It was also pointed out that “since 1 March the immigrant may be deported from Belarus in case he has not registered himself at the internal affairs bodies or has not provided himself with the migration card or committed any other violation of the corresponding law on decision made by head of the internal affairs department, the enforced deportation being also stipulated’. ”Furthermore the same official can make a decision on temporal 10 years’ prohibition of a deported person’s entering Belarus”, the ministry for internal affairs reported.

They also mentioned that since 1 March the new Code on Administrative Offence is coming into force.

In 2006 over 20 thousand administrative reports on violation of migration law were made by law enforcement bodies ‘staff, 1800 people were deported from the country, 700 among them being deported under guard, the ministry for internal affairs reported.

In 2006 over 1000 criminal lawsuits were brought against foreigners staying both legally and illegally in Belarus, among these 20 for murder, 40 for robbery, 60 for disorderly conduct, 50 for drug trafficking, 4 for rape, 3 for arms trafficking, the ministry for internal affairs reported.