The Chamber of Representatives is considering a bill, under which students could travel abroad without the consent of the Ministry of Education. As explained by the deputy chairman of the House of Representatives of Standing Committee on National Security, Vladimir Vasilenko, the permit of the Ministry of Education has currently become a formality.
Under current law, students, willing to study abroad during the school year, must obtain written permit from the Ministry of Education. The same procedure must be followed by the students, willing to take part in sporting, cultural or other mass events abroad.
Nevertheless, in practice not the students, but the educational institutions, where they are trained, apply for permission to the Ministry of Education. It is mostly done by universities, which send their students to study abroad under bilateral interuniversity cooperation agreements or at the invitation of foreign educational institutions and scientific organizations.
In fact, the decision on whether to let students abroad or not is taken by the head of the university with the dean’s consent. Ministry of Education, in fact, simply duplicates the solution of high school, BelTA informs.
Lawmakers Offer Greater Assistance to Victims of Human Trafficking
Vladimir Vasilenko also said that there is a more precise definition of such concepts as «human traffickers» and «victims of trafficking» in the draft law «On Combating Human Trafficking.» The deputies consider the people, found victims of the actions of traffickers in a criminal case, as well as prior to the criminal prosecution, as victims of trafficking. This will assist the victims before the institution of the criminal procedures.
In addition, legislators have identified a set of measures to protect and rehabilitate victims of trafficking. Thus, it is offered, if necessary, to suspend the deportation process for victims of trafficking. It is also offered to provide them with help of the diplomatic and consular missions of Belarus.
«An important guarantee for the inevitability of punishment of the perpetrators is a provision, stating that the victim’s behavior, expressed as a reluctance or inability to change his antisocial behavior, cannot exclude the responsibility of the traffickers, as well as it can’t be regarded as a circumstance, mitigating their responsibility,» said Vladimir Vasilenko.
Institute of National Rapporteur on Combating Human Trafficking may be Established in Belarus
Moreover, if the bill is adopted, Belarus will institute a national rapporteur on human trafficking, represented by the Minister of Internal Affairs. MPs plan to consider the bill on the first reading at the upcoming spring session of the House of Representatives, scheduled for April 4, 2011.
