MINSK, 2 April (BelTA) – The implementation of the readmission agreement with the European Union does not pose any risks associated with migration for Belarus, Belarus Deputy Internal Affairs Minister Aleksandr Barsukov said on 2 April, BelTA has learned.
Aleksandr Barsukov presented the readmission agreement with the EU in the House of Representatives on 2 April. The agreement will bind Belarus and the EU to readmit their own citizens, third-country citizens, and stateless persons, who do not meet or no longer meet the requirements to legally stay in each other's territory.
Answering the questions of MPs, Aleksandr Barsukov noted that he sees no particular risks related to the implementation of the agreement. According to him, Belarus will have to admit around a hundred more people a year. “Most of them will be citizens of Russia and Central Asia. We can cope with this. I see no problems with it,” he said.
Aleksandr Barsukov also spoke about creating infrastructure to accommodate foreigners. “We are working together with the State Border Committee of Belarus and relevant EU bodies. We have received the necessary assistance. Around $2.8 million alone will be earmarked for setting up migrant accommodation centers. One of them will be located in Zhodino, the other one in Polotsk,” Aleksandr Barsukov explained. The migrant accommodation center in Zhodino will have the capacity of 115 people, the one in Polotsk – around 40.
Belarus also signed international readmission agreements with Turkey, Kazakhstan, Russia, Georgia, and Ukraine. Thanks to the country's geographical position, the implementation of such agreements makes an effective tool to fight illegal migration. “We annually turn in some 200 foreigners while admit only a handful,” Aleksandr Barsukov said.
BelTA reported earlier that the House of Representative of the National Assembly of Belarus ratified the visa facilitation agreement and the agreement on readmission of individuals staying without an authorization with the EU on 2 April.
