MINSK, 20 June (BelTA) – A temporary accommodation center for illegal migrants will be set up in Belarus, Alexander Tatura, Deputy Head of the Citizenship and Migration Department, Head of the Division for External Labor Migration, Refugees, and Asylum at the Interior Ministry of Belarus, said at a press conference held to mark World Refugee Day on 20 June, BelTA has learned.
The center will be built as part of an international assistance project (some €7 million has been earmarked for the construction of the center). The project is currently undergoing the domestic approval process.
“The decision to build the center is largely due to the plans to sign a readmission agreement between Belarus and the EU. The agreement stipulates that the individuals captured when trying to cross the border illegally are to be accommodated in such centers in accordance with international standards. Plans have been made to set up such a center in Belarus. Besides, the center will accommodate people who intend to apply for international protection in Belarus,” Alexander Tatura noted.
He said that the center will make a positive impact, considering the experience of other countries that already have such centers.
