The Union of Poles in Belarus Council authorized Andżelika Borys to take action for the organization's legalization

But she will begin to take steps in this direction after receiving confirmation from the Polish side. "The Main Council of the Union of Poles, which met in Bialystok, authorized me to take actions related to the legalization of our activities. I have signals indicating that there are possibilities for the Union of Poles' activities to be legal, for it to function within the legal framework in Belarus," Andżelika Borys noted.

According to her, all activists of the union gathered in Bialystok, including chairpersons of branches, directors of their public Polish schools, "people who could not come to Hrodna," as well as representatives of Polish authorities and Polish politicians and partners of the union.

For the UPB, Borys added, "it is very important that these signals are conveyed by the Belarusian authorities to the Polish side, and that the Polish side reports that such desires indeed exist from the Belarusian authorities." "Then, of course, I will take appropriate actions related to the legalization of the Union of Poles' activities," she added.

Borys says that the matter is very delicate and "also requires trust, reliability, and subtle diplomatic steps."

"The Union of Poles operates in a complex political situation"

For now, Borys says, "the situation is very difficult, the Union of Poles operates within a complex political situation." According to her, her organization has virtually remained the only "public organization of the Polish minority":

"Today, only the Union maintains Polish public schools, cares for places of memory."

She expressed joy that their "colleague Andrzej Poczobut is free," and also that none of the Union of Poles activists "at this moment, in recent years, have been affected by harsh repressions, and that we can teach the Polish language, which is a priority for us."

Borys explained the reasons for postponing the congress of the Union of Poles in Belarus primarily by security concerns.

"It was primarily about the safety of people. We have a large organization. A lot of people participated in the congress, about 200. According to Belarusian law, our activities are not recognized, and the activities of each of our activists fall under a criminal article for operating an unregistered organization, which carries a penalty of 3 to 8 years. Therefore, I had to take into account primarily the safety of people and the fact that, of course, we are not interested in confrontation," she said.

The head of the unrecognized Union of Poles in Belarus says that one must "take small steps, look after our affairs as a minority," and adds that she "could not allow anything to happen to anyone."

Borys noted that the UPB's priority is "Polish education and the preservation of those educational centers that have been revived in recent years. Primarily, the expansion of Polishness. Learning the language is a priority."

According to her, in the public schools overseen by the Union in Hrodna, Minsk, Baranavichy, Lida, Vaukavysk, the academic year is starting, and they support 53 centers for learning the Polish language, where more than 3000 children are studying. She calls "the introduction of Polish language instruction in Polish schools in Hrodna, Vaukavysk," and the legal publication of the organization's magazine "Magazyn Polski" important matters.

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