SYSTEMIC LEGAL VULNERABILITY OF BELARUSIAN RELOCANTS IN POLAND: FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

In August 2026, Partyzanka Foundation published a policy brief examining the systemic legal barriers faced by Belarusians living in Poland and proposing practical recommendations to improve existing administrative procedures.

The publication, Systemic Legal Vulnerability of Belarusian “Relokanty” in Poland: Meeting Needs for Procedural Regularization, explores how migration and legalization procedures affect Belarusians who have been forced to leave their country due to political repression, the risk of persecution, or other security concerns.

The research draws on data collected through Partyzanka Foundation’s legal helpline, which has provided more than 12,000 consultations to Belarusian migrants and refugees since 2021. The analysis focuses on requests received between February and June 2026 and identifies key systemic barriers affecting the legal regularization of stay in Poland.

The study highlights five recurring areas of concern: access to identity and travel documents, international protection procedures, the situation of former political prisoners, long residence permit processing times, and family reunification.

Key Recommendations

The policy brief concludes that many of the identified problems can be addressed through administrative and procedural improvements without requiring changes to existing legislation.

Among the key recommendations are:

• Create a dedicated procedural pathway for Belarusian relocants, allowing individuals who entered Poland through work, study, or humanitarian channels to access protection and regularization mechanisms more effectively.

• Ensure broader recognition of alternative identity documents, including expired Belarusian passports and other documents accepted by Polish authorities, to reduce barriers in access to banking, healthcare, education, and administrative services.

• Improve protection procedures for survivors of political repression and torture, including former political prisoners, by applying existing safeguards for vulnerable applicants and ensuring trauma-informed assessment of evidence.

• Facilitate access to legal status for undocumented Belarusians affected by “depassportization”, including through the acceptance of alternative forms of identity verification when submitting applications.

• Reduce the negative consequences of administrative backlogs by clarifying the legal rights of applicants whose residence procedures remain pending and ensuring continuity of access to employment and public services.

• Develop tailored procedures for former political prisoners and other highly vulnerable groups, including simplified access to identity documents and protection mechanisms upon arrival in Poland.

• Strengthen pathways for family reunification and family unity, recognizing the particular impact of political repression, forced displacement, and transnational repression on Belarusian families.

Authors

Anaïs Marin, PhD is a political scientist and human rights expert specializing in Belarus and the wider post-Soviet region. She served as the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Belarus from 2018 to 2024 and currently works as Head of Advocacy at Partyzanka Foundation.

Anna Matsiyeuskaya, LL.M., MPA Candidate is a lawyer, founder and board member of Partyzanka Foundation. She provides legal assistance to Belarusian refugees and contributes to policy development processes in Poland and at the international level.

The policy brief was prepared within the project “Sustainable Support Model for Belarusian Migrants: Innovation, Expertise, and Expanding Partyzanka’s Target Audience”, implemented with support from the Belarus Beehive 2.0 programme funded by the European Union.

→ Download the Policy Brief (PDF) [EN]

→ Pobierz publikację (PDF) [PL]