Belarus Cracks Down on ‘Parasites,’ Citing ‘Military Situation’

The Belarusian government is intensifying its long-standing campaign against unemployment, hosting a specialized job fair in Minsk aimed at those officially classified as ‘not engaged in the economy’ and individuals leading ‘asocial lifestyles.’ This initiative is the latest move in President Alexander Lukashenko’s declared mission to ensure there are no ‘bums or parasites’ in the country, targeting everyone from former prisoners to those registered with the police for social misconduct.

The state’s approach combines opportunity with coercion. While the job fair offers a range of positions from janitor to insurance agent, those who shun employment face steep penalties. Citizens designated as ‘social parasites’ are already required to pay significantly higher, unsubsidized rates for utilities like heating, hot water, and gas. Now, authorities are even considering restricting their access to free state-provided healthcare, creating a powerful financial incentive to find work.

Beyond the urban unemployed, the government is also focused on retaining its population in rural areas. A new amendment to the Education Code will allow rural schools to offer driver’s training for cars and agricultural machinery. Officials hope this will incentivize graduates to remain in the countryside and work alongside their parents, while also preparing them for military service. Lukashenko has issued a stark warning to agricultural students, stating that simply obtaining a diploma is no longer an option. ‘This is not the time,’ he stressed, promising that graduates will be required to work in their assigned field.

President Lukashenko justifies these increasingly rigid policies by invoking a sense of national emergency. Responding to criticisms that his measures resemble ‘serfdom,’ he stated, ‘Listen, men, the situation today is a military one. The people should be praying to this government that we are not at war.’ He warned of external threats, describing neighboring countries as ‘snakes in the grass, hissing and ready to rush in here.’ This rhetoric frames strict labor control as a matter of national security and survival.

In stark contrast to these punitive measures, the state also employs a system of rewards to foster loyalty among its workers. Following the country’s Independence Day, many employees, particularly in the agricultural sector, received substantial food packages from their state-run employers. The gifts proved so impressive that many took to social media to share their bounty.

One video from a tractor driver’s wife went viral, garnering over two million views as she joyfully unpacked bags filled with groceries, clarifying that it was a bonus, ‘not instead of a salary.’ She concluded with a statement of national pride: ‘We are sure that in no other country are workers valued as they are here in Belarus, especially in agriculture.’ For a leader like Lukashenko, who admittedly monitors social media closely, such viral moments serve as powerful validation that his firm-handed, paternalistic approach to governance is on the right course.