A new bill regulating the procedures of entry and exit of Belarusian citizens was submitted to the House of Representatives, BelTA learnt from the Permanent Commission for Human Rights, National Relations and Mass Media of the House of Representatives of the National Assembly of Belarus. A significant part of the bill is dedicated to the exit procedures of underage Belarusian citizens. The bill enables them to leave Belarus accompanied by one of their guardians without the consent of the other one. If one of the legal guardians refuses to give his/her consent, he/she can petition the court for a different exit procedure, except the cases when a minor leaves the country for treatment or recuperation. If the court determines an exit procedure that differs from the general rule, the information about a minor is included in the database of persons who are temporarily restricted from going abroad. In line with the bill, minors having the status of orphans or children left without parental guardianship, can leave Belarus accompanied by or having the written permission of one of the their legal guardians provided the local executive authorities grant them a referral for study (for a period more than 30 days). The bill is aimed to ensure the constitutional right of the Belarusian citizens to freely leave the country and come back. The bill is to establish the up-to-date democratic exit procedures which are in line with the universally accepted principles of the international law. The document sets forth unified criteria to temporarily restrict the right of the citizens to leave Belarus for a certain period of time and for good. A person who has been temporarily restricted from going abroad can be allowed to leave the country for a specified period for an urgent treatment, to participate in a criminal procedure or when his/her close relatives are seriously ill or have died. Under the bill, the Belarusian citizens permanently living abroad, enjoy all the rights, freedoms and have the same responsibilities as the Belarusian citizens living in Belarus.

БЕЛТА