A Belarusian received international protection in Poland but travels to his homeland

Kiryl told Most why he returns home, if he is afraid, and if he feels any pangs of conscience.

In August 2020, Kiryl participated in peaceful protests in Belarus. After one of them, he was detained. The court sentenced him to 14 days of administrative arrest, which, according to the man, he spent in Akrestsina.

In the autumn of 2020, Kiryl came to Poland. A few months later, he received supplementary protection — one of the forms of international protection. It is granted to a foreigner who does not meet the conditions for obtaining refugee status, but in case of return to the country of origin may face a real risk of serious harm — for example, torture, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.

For several years, Kiryl did not travel to Belarus.

Acquaintances traveled — everything was fine

The idea of returning came to Kiryl when he found out that some of his acquaintances, who also have international protection, had traveled to Belarus and returned safely.

— They traveled successfully. I became interested in this topic because I wanted to visit relatives, — says Kiryl.

Before his first trip, he found out that he was not on the wanted list in Belarus or Russia. Then he began to ask acquaintances about possible routes.

Kiryl did not want to travel directly from Poland to Belarus. The first time, he went from Poland by bus to the Czech Republic. From there, he flew by plane to Tbilisi, then flew to Moscow's Vnukovo airport.

From Moscow, he traveled by ground transport to Belarus, and then to his hometown in Belarus. Such a route took him about a day.

Kiryl admits that he was nervous before his first trip. He was especially anxious during document checks when boarding the plane. He tries not to use his bank card in Belarus.

He takes cash euros with him, changes them in Belarus, and pays in cash. Kiryl takes his phone, but before the trip, as he puts it, he "cleans" it. He does not specify what exactly he deletes from the device.

Despite his fears, the first trip went without incident. Kiryl returned to Warsaw via a similar route.

Later, he traveled to Belarus once more — this time via Turkey. This trip also went without problems. Acquaintances also told him about a route through Kazakhstan, but Kiryl has not tried it yet.

"Why should I be deprived?"

Kiryl does not understand the possibility of losing international protection due to trips to Belarus.

— Why should I be deprived? If there is such an opportunity and no one controls it, why should it be taken away? — he says.

At the same time, Kiryl does not travel directly across the Polish-Belarusian border. He explains that he still fears new persecution in Belarus and therefore does not want to take risks.

If the trips are discovered

Migration lawyer Iryna Varachkova says that trips can be a reason to start the procedure for revoking international protection.

— If they find out now, they can initiate proceedings to revoke international protection, — she says.

This does not mean that after a trip is discovered, the person will automatically lose supplementary protection. Polish law provides for its revocation, in particular, if the circumstances under which protection was granted have ceased or changed to such an extent that it is no longer required. Moreover, the changes must be significant and lasting.

— That is, in Kiryl's case, the Polish authorities would have to assess the circumstances of his case and decide whether the grounds for the protection granted to him still exist, — she adds.

They can also ask about trips years later

The lawyer says there is another point Kiryl seems not to consider.

A person who has been continuously residing in Poland for at least five years due to supplementary protection, if other conditions are met, can apply for a permanent residence permit — pobyt stały.

In the official application for pobyt stały, there is a separate section "Foreign trips and stays outside the territory of the Republic of Poland over the last five years." You must specify the country and period of stay.

— There you list all trips for five years and sign that you have been warned about criminal liability, — says Iryna Varachkova.

According to her, traces of trips can also remain in other places — for example, on the phone or in banking transactions.

"Everyone should think for themselves"

When the conversation with Kiryl turns to whether he feels any pangs of conscience because stories like his might increase the Polish system's distrust of other Belarusians' cases, he initially doesn't understand the question.

— Everyone should think for themselves, — he then says.

Explaining that for some Belarusians, returning home is indeed associated with the risk of detention and criminal prosecution, and that stories of protection recipients who voluntarily travel to Belarus could potentially raise additional questions when other applications are considered, makes the young man thoughtful.

— Well, yes, — Kiryl replies.

He will go for a passport in 2027

But Kiryl is not going to stop. In early 2027, he plans another trip to Belarus: his Belarusian passport expires, and the man wants to get a new one.

Kiryl knows that a person with supplementary protection in Poland can obtain a Polish travel document for foreigners. But this option does not satisfy him.

— The travel document is valid for one year. According to acquaintances, it now takes a long time to wait for it. In Belarus, with expedited processing, I expect to get a passport that will be valid for ten years in approximately two weeks, — the young man explains.

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