The Portuguese Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum (AIMA) has required Belarusian nationals who obtained temporary protection after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine to leave the country. According to official data, these are people who left Belarus for Ukraine after the protests in 2020, and since the start of the full-scale invasion have relocated to Portugal. They have been given 20 days to depart voluntarily, otherwise a forced departure may follow. Some of them told journalists that they fear arrests and persecution upon return.
The Portuguese authorities’ position and the evacuees’ reaction
“I posted in support of Ukraine and against Lukashenko’s dictatorship. In Belarus people can be arrested even for liking a post. And I didn’t just like it; I wrote posts myself.”
– Tetyana
According to AIMA representatives, any person with temporary protection status, whether adult or minor, may be issued a voluntary departure order.
The outlet has also learned of at least one case in which Portugal revoked temporary protection for a child.
Lawyer Daniela Castro described the situation of a Ukrainian family. According to him, the mother has dual citizenship – Russian and Ukrainian, and the father is Ukrainian. The two daughters were born in Russia, and now the temporary protection status for one of the girls, aged 10, has been revoked.
“They (AIMA) believe that the child can return to their country of origin, because there is no conflict there”
– Daniela Castro
Earlier, former activist and co-founder of the Belarusian opposition Telegram channel Nexta, Roman Protasevich, confirmed the words of Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko that he allegedly is a Belarusian intelligence officer.
In European Union countries, the temporary protection status for Ukrainian refugees is valid until March 4, 2027. As of 2025, more than 4.3 million Ukrainians are benefiting from this provision in the EU.