Alena al-Bsheni, a mother from Minsk, emigrated to France with her two children to escape persecution by security forces. She is now fighting for the right to stay in the country and avoid deportation to Belarus – and urgently needs financial support.
My name is Alena. I am from Belarus, and for several years I have been trying to legalize my status in France with my two children. I am living in prolonged legal and financial uncertainty.
In August 2020, I was living in Minsk. I had a small child, a family, and an ordinary life. On the evening of August 9, 2020, I found myself at the Kamennaya Gorka metro station. My friends and I went out to see what was happening in the city after the election. There were screams, sirens, tension everywhere, huge crowds, police, riot officers, and waves of violence. I stayed overnight at a friend’s place because getting home felt смертельно dangerous – security forces were attacking people indiscriminately. That night, like many that followed, I could not sleep.
On August 10, riding home on the metro, I heard people shouting “Long Live Belarus!” inside the train carriage. I asked my friend, “Do you hear that too, or is it just me?” At that moment, it became clear that the old silence was gone forever.
I joined protests in August, including women’s marches. People honked their car horns, brought flowers, thanked one another, and felt hopeful. But very quickly the situation worsened. News spread about deaths, mass detentions, and beatings. I saw how security forces searched for those who had participated – I knew I might have been photographed or filmed as well. It became truly frightening.
I am a mother. I understood that if I were detained, no one would be able to protect me. I tried to be careful. I shared my opinions in chats and discussed what was happening with friends, but I went out less and less. After several acquaintances with whom I had attended protest marches were detained, my relatives and friends – including lawyers – strongly advised me to leave Belarus. It was a difficult decision, but in 2021 I left.
I first went to Russia but quickly realized it was unsafe there as well. Then I moved to France. After my visa expired, I applied for asylum. The process was long: interviews, waiting, temporary documents. For some time I had a pending status, but in February 2023 I received a refusal. The French authorities decided that “I am not in danger” in Belarus and that I could return.
At the same time, my mother told me that security officers in Belarus had visited her, asking where I was and inquiring about me and my child.
In the summer of 2024, I reapplied for legal status in France – the first step toward obtaining residency. But until I receive it, neither my children nor I are entitled to any form of support. We are effectively left without assistance.
Each new application means starting over: a new case, a new file, and another long period of waiting. While awaiting a decision, I am not allowed to work officially. I am learning the language and trying to find employment, but without documents I am not hired even for basic jobs.
During this time, my life has changed dramatically. My husband, who remained in Belarus, died of illness in 2024. I was not even able to attend his funeral. I am now in a relationship, but we are not officially married. My second child was born in France and is still very young. All responsibility for the children rests on me. Without official status, I receive no benefits. I cannot even access the survivor’s support that my child is entitled to after her father’s death – because it requires permanent residence in Belarus.
Fundraising goal
€2000
€1300 – rent for two months
€700 – food and essential items for the children