Some citizens may be prohibited from leaving the country in order to ensure national security. At the same time, military personnel and representatives of the security forces must obtain special permission to leave.
The Belarusian authorities may be able to temporarily restrict the travel of certain categories of citizens abroad if this poses a threat to national security. Such a norm is contained in the bill amending the law ‘On the procedure for leaving the Republic of Belarus’, reports the ‘National Legal Internet Portal’.
The relevant draft of amendments to the law was submitted to the Parliament by the Council of Ministers. According to the norms of the document, some citizens will not be able to leave the country at all, and some will have to take a special permit.
The category of citizens who will be restricted in their movement includes employees of the border guard service, military personnel of the armed forces, employees of the internal forces of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and representatives of other departments. The travel ban will be imposed to ensure national security, the document says.
In addition, the bill provides for adding biometric passports to the list of documents required for crossing the country’s border. And all employees of law enforcement agencies who have biometric passports, when leaving the country, will be obliged to hand them over to the personnel department of the relevant departments.
Who can be refused departure from Belarus?
If the draft law is approved, the KGB of Belarus will be able to ban the departure of all those whose departure “would contradict the interests of the national security of the Republic of Belarus.”
This category of persons also includes citizens “in respect of whom an administrative process is being conducted for the commission of administrative offenses against the management order.”
Suspects include such persons:
- in disobedience to a legal order or demand of an official during the performance of his official powers;
- violation of the order of organizing or holding mass events.
Who needs a special exit permit?
All military personnel, personnel, and civilians associated with military formations and paramilitary organizations, as well as all civil servants, will be able to travel abroad only with the approval of the leadership.
This applies to employees of the Armed Forces of Belarus, border guards, transport troops, employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, employees of the State Committee for Forensic Examinations, employees of the Ministry of Emergencies, etc.
At the same time, they may be refused entry in order to ensure national security.
It is reported that the parliament will consider the bill in September. It will enter into force after the approval of the Council of the Republic and the signature of President Alexander Lukashenko.
