GENEVA - A group of UN independent experts* today sounded the alarm about the reported expulsion of a young Guinean woman from Belarus to the Republic of Guinea on 7 August 2025, while her newborn child remained in Belarus.
"The alleged forced separation of a young migrant mother and her newborn child is extremely concerning," the experts said. "We are attempting to clarify the situation with Belarusian authorities."
The woman reportedly gave birth prematurely in Minsk in November 2024 and was immediately separated from her newborn baby, who was first held in hospital for intensive care before being transferred to an orphanage. A few months later, the mother was allegedly arrested and deported from Belarus, for "illegally" staying in the country.
"Under international human rights law, Belarus must prioritise the best interests of the child," the experts said. "This means that, wherever possible, children should be able to know their parents." They warned that even children under state custody have a right to maintain their relationships with their parents.
"Separating the mother from her newborn and expelling her from the country without any due process directly harms the rights of the mother and undermines the best interests of the child, and would likely amount to ill-treatment of both mother and child," the experts said.
They expressed concern about the speedy removal of the migrant woman from Belarus, reportedly without due process, including access to legal counsel or linguistic support to challenge either her expulsion or separation from her child. The experts noted with concern that the mother was allegedly detained in inhumane conditions in a penal detention centre prior to her expulsion, due to the absence of dedicated migrant detention facilities in Belarus.
"We are concerned that this young mother may have suffered intersecting discrimination and ill-treatment due to her gender, ethnicity and migrant status," the experts said, expressing hope that Belarusian authorities would respond quickly to their letter and take all necessary steps to reunite mother and child without delay.
