Because of political persecution and subsequent deportation from Belarus without documents, Maksim* was separated from his family for many long months. He needs help bringing his family to Lithuania and reuniting with them.
My name is Maksim*. I am one of those whose life was once turned upside down by two short comments on Telegram. For this, I was sentenced to 2 years in prison. On December 13, 2025, together with a dozen other political prisoners, I was forcibly deported from the country and permanently separated from my family.
I am now in Lithuania, going through the procedure to obtain refugee status. For seven months, I have been trying to rebuild my life. Thanks to the assistance I received after my deportation, I was able to find modest housing and recover. Occasional odd jobs allow me to buy groceries. But the process of obtaining my documents is still ongoing, and without legal status I cannot find a good, stable job that would allow me to rent a proper apartment for four and bring my family here.
The hardest ordeal for me turned out not to be the challenges of emigration, but a year and a half without being able to hug my children and my wife.
Every video call is both happiness and unbearable pain. The children cry at the phone screen and ask: “Dad, when are you going to bring us to you?” Every time, I hide my tears and tell them something I am desperately trying to believe myself: “We just need to wait a little longer…”
My wife has been carrying the burden of caring for the children, financial problems, and an uncertain future all on her own. I can feel how tired she is, how difficult it is for her, and I am powerless to help her. The distance and this damned uncertainty are draining all our strength.
For my family to come to me in Lithuania, I only need to resolve one critical issue — rent an apartment where my wife and two children can stay, and cover the most basic expenses of their relocation.
I dream so much of walking into an apartment, hearing my children’s laughter, and simply hugging my wife instead of having these video calls over the phone. This fundraiser is a chance for the four of us to become a whole family again.
Thank you to everyone who will stand by us.
*This is an anonymous story. For security purposes, we have changed the hero's name. The image is generated using AI.
Fundraising goal
€2500
€2200 – rent for an apartment for two months + deposit + utilities
€300 – essential items for the family for the initial period