Visa-free regime to be postponed if Ukraine not removes migration shortcomings

The real possibility to legalize the refugees and asylum seekers in Ukraine is very low due to the inefficient procedure for applying for refugee status.

This week the President of Ukraine signed the decree on strengthening measures for the introduction of visa-free regime with the EU, according to which Ukraine undertakes commitments to conduct the reforms, including in the immigration system and the system of granting asylum.

Ukraine is unlikely to get the visa-free regime, if the system remains the same as before, the experts believe, the Human Rights Information Centre correspondent reports.

There are now about 4,000 people in Ukraine, who were forced to leave their homeland because of threat of persecution or fear for their life and health. These people are predominantly from Afghanistan, Syria, Iran and Iraq, i.e. the war-torn countries. In addition, the past year witnessed an increasing number of asylum seekers from Russia and Belarus. However, 99% of seekers are not granted asylum due to the outdated and inefficient procedure for granting legal refugee status.

According to the Right to Protection All-Ukrainian Charity Foundation, about 300-350 Russians have applied for international protection in Ukraine, showing a fourfold and even fivefold increase comparing to earlier periods. The citizens of Russia and Belarus, who volunteered in the ATO area, have faced the exclusion from the territory of Ukraine to the country, which they fled from, and where they are threatened with imprisonment or death.

The problem of the refugees and the asylum seekers is now complicated by the problem of the internally displaced persons (IDPs) as a result of the armed conflict in eastern Ukraine. The Government pays insignificant attention to the problem of refugees and asylum seekers.

According to Darya Tolkach, the legal expert at the Right to Protection All-Ukrainian Charity Foundation, the procedure for obtaining of Ukrainian citizenship works. If a person has been granted refugee status, such a person may apply for citizenship within three years. “There is a problem with obtaining the refugee status,” Darya says. “The number of allowed applications for refugee status is a mathematical error. There are 20-28 allowed applications out of thousands every year. We have clients, whose cases have been being considered for 10-18 years. The state does not recognize these people as such who need protection.“

The people with pending refugee claims have no right to medical care in Ukraine. They may work with certain restrictions, only with the authorization of the employment centers, making them uncompetitive in the labor market. The limited command of the Ukrainian language reduces their already slight chances for employment. They do not receive any assistance from the state. Their problems are solved exclusively by the international organizations.

By integrating the asylum seekers into the Ukrainian society, the state will receive the grateful citizens who work and pay taxes, making Ukraine more attractive to foreign companies, the human rights activists believe.

“There are a lot of talented and experienced people among the refugees, including architects, artists, doctors, farmers,” says Natalia Hurzhiy, director of the Rokada Charity Foundation, executive partner of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees in Ukraine. “For example, there is a 16-year-old boy from Afghanistan, who has been winning the championships in boxing for two years, gets the gold medal, and dreams of international competitions. He needs only to get the citizenship of Ukraine for his dreams to come true. We hope that we will explain the need to reform the immigration system to the state.”

Vadym Krasnooky, the frontman of the Mad Heads band and social activist, believes that it is necessary to draw public attention to the problem. “If they come to us, we must treat them with humanity. If they have managed to get out despite all the obstacles, it means these people are dreamy and active. They can be very useful members of society. We should not only prevent our citizens from fleeing to other countries, but we should also accept the best people from other countries.”

Vadym Krasnooky and children of refugees starred in a video clip for his old song There Is Hope to draw attention to the problem of refugees in Ukraine.