Комиссия по возвращению. Фото: Генпрокуратура
Alyaksandr Lukashenka, speaking at the All-Belarusian People’s Assembly, issued a warning to young professionals and said that among those who left the country a “queue” has formed for the commission on returning.
According to him, the main priority is the balanced distribution of productive forces.
“And if we are talking about housing, that means agro-towns, key villages, district and regional centers, not only Minsk. How can it be otherwise? Many young people understand this. Therefore, if you enroll under a targeted program or in some other way in a university — medical, agricultural — before you go there, think about the fact that you will have to work starting from a district hospital: maybe a local clinic, maybe somewhere you will have to get involved and put a rural health post into operation. You need to be ready for this, and not simply say: ‘I graduated from medical school, I want to work in Minsk. If not, then I will leave tomorrow,’” he said.
“Well, some people did leave. Today there is a queue at Shved’s place, at that very commission, to return back. Think, think, especially young people. Before taking some step, you need to think, as it used to be,” Lukashenka added.
As a reminder, the return commission was created in early February 2023 by a decree of Alyaksandr Lukashenka. It is intended to consider appeals from Belarusians who left the country and fear returning home because of repression.
The commission also determines the conditions for citizens’ return to the country. In October 2025, Deputy Prosecutor General Aliaksei Stuk said that 323 applications had been submitted to the return commission, of which 70 were considered on the merits. Thirty people returned to Belarus.