What is the main problem the project is seeking to address? The project addresses the high risk of statelessness among children born to Belarusian forced migrants, caused by documentation barriers created by the Belarusian government. After the rigged 2020 presidential election, many Belarusians fleeing political repression became forced migrants. A critical barrier emerged on 4 September 2023, when Belarusian authorities deprived consulates of the power to issue or renew passports. Citizens must now return to Belarus to obtain documents, which is impossible for many due to the risk of persecution. As a result, parents cannot secure identification for their children through consulates, leaving them unable to confirm nationality. Host countries’ legal frameworks vary and often lack clear procedures for such cases, making the situation even more complex. In many jurisdictions, the ineffectiveness of existing statelessness determination procedures contributes to the problem of potential childhood statelessness for Belarusian forced migrants. Statelessness exposes children to exclusion from education, healthcare, and social protection, while increasing their risk of trafficking, exploitation, and discrimination. Families face additional stress, insecurity, and financial burdens trying to regularize their children’s status. Host communities are also affected, as unresolved statelessness strains administrative systems, weakens child protection, and undermines integration. In the long term, a generation without recognized nationality threatens social cohesion and stability.

What is the main change the project seeks to achieve? The project aims to ensure that children born to Belarusian forced migrants are not left stateless due to documentation barriers created by the Belarusian government. Its long-term goal is to highlight and promote effective host-country practices and address legal gaps that put these children at risk of statelessness. The strategy combines legal research, advocacy, digital resources, and direct legal help. Research, implemented in partnership with PILnet, will map birth registration and nationality acquisition procedures in host countries for Belarusians in exile. Comparative legal analysis will be complemented by in-depth interviews and an online survey to capture lived experiences and identify practical obstacles. Digital Resources: research findings will be transformed into clear, multilingual guidelines and step-by-step instructions on a user-friendly online platform. Advocacy, developed together with Apatride Network and Human Constanta, will facilitate dialogue among key stakeholders to discuss findings, identify practical solutions and promote systemic change. Evidence-based recommendations and a public awareness campaign will encourage legal reforms and community engagement. Legal Help will be provided to families facing documentation barriers, and these cases will provide practical evidence to inform advocacy and strengthen resources. The expected impact is a reduced risk of statelessness among Belarusian newborns through better access to legal information and procedures. The project also aims to strengthen cooperation between key actors and promote more effective policies to protect every child’s right to nationality and identity.

Who are the key partners? This is a collaborative project led by LegalHub. LegalHub: This organization serves as a unique, secure, and anonymous legal assistance platform supporting individuals, communities, and activists resisting repression in Belarus. LegalHub is an essential resource for those facing systematic state oppression and a lack of legal protection. Human Constanta: Belarusian human rights organisation focused on promoting public interests and collaborative actions in response to contemporary challenges in the field of human rights. The organisation works in the areas of human rights in the context of anti-extremism policies, digital rights, migrants’ rights, and anti-discrimination, as well as preventing and addressing the risks of statelessness. Apatride Network: This is a leading stateless-led organization in the European Union. It focuses on addressing statelessness through awareness-raising, advocacy, legal assistance, and stakeholder bridge building. Apatride Network also sits on the UNHCR Advisory Board of organizations led by the forcibly displaced and stateless. PILnet: This is a global non-governmental organization that functions as a global network for public interest law. PILnet partners with legal professionals and civil society organizations to protect civic space, address global challenges, and build just societies. It mobilizes high-quality, free legal assistance for civil society organizations. PILnet would partner with the co-leads on this project to secure free legal assistance to support the guides through its pro bono networks and support the engagement of legal professionals in host countries. LegalHub, Apatride and PILnet are all members of the Global Alliance.

Who is the target population for this project? PrimaryNewborn children of Belarusian forced migrants. These children are at a severe risk of statelessness because their parents cannot obtain essential identification documentation for them through Belarusian consulates and they cannot return to Belarus for fear of political persecution. The project specifically aims to ensure these children do not face statelessness due to documentation barriers.

Funding and costs What is the total cost of this project?96 000 USD