The articles in this column are translated media articles from various Ukrainian sources. Often, these are based on press statements from the Ministry of Interior (MoI) or State Border Guard Service of Ukraine (SBGS). They are mere translations and published here for the purpose of documenting developments in Ukraine. Thus, the articles neither reflect the opinion of the Border Monitoring Project Ukraine nor does the BMP approve the statements made in these articles.
25-01-2012
On January 24, border guards of BS “Uzhgorod” of Chop Border Detachment detected a group of people (5) of Asian appearance in Uzhgorod during the check of possible places of stay of illegal migrants. Later on, the reasons on migrants’ staying in Uzhgorod were clarified and their citizenship was established. They were the citizens ofAfghanistanand had “Documents on appeal for protection inUkraine” issued in Transcarpathian region and valid before February 3, 2012. And everything would be finished for Asians positively if they had not violated the rules on stay inUkraine, namely: the place of registration and residence was Mukachevo and not Uzhgorod in the above mentioned documents. Whether Afghanis intended to “attack” the border and get toWestern Europeit will be established later – so far no protocols are prepared which will be passed to the court.
It should be marked that sanction of Article 203 of Code of Ukraine on Administrative Infringements foresees administrative responsibility in the form of the penalty in the sum of 850 UAH.
23-01-2012
Last week 57 Somalis went on hunger strike at Temporary Holding Facility (THF) in Volyn. Illegal migrants demand immediate release and issue of documents for legitimate residence in Ukraine. However Migration Service reports: the hunger strike of the Somalis is a “play to audience”. What is real situation – it was examined by our correspondents.
THF is in the village of Zhuravychi. There are 126 migrants here. There are 57 migrants from Somalia among them. Forty of them refused to visit dining room a week ago. “But it does not mean that they do not eat”, – the staff of the centre says.
Oleksandr Lukaschuk, deputy director of THF:
- They eat food, which they get by parcels from friends living in Ukraine or beyond its borders. Not all visit the dining room.
Somalis do not have claims to administration and holding conditions. They are not satisfied by the Law of Ukraine, which came into force on December 25, 2012. Now, illegal migrants are kept at THFs not six months as it was before, but a year. So to say, this fact breaks their rights. Human Rights Organization Amnesty International has spoken in support of Africans and appealed to Ukrainian power to release the migrants from Somalia and to guarantee them right for protection. The representatives of local Refugee Department visited the centre in Zhuravychi.
Nataliya Naumenko, director of Refugee Department of Migration Service of Ukraine:
- The trip was organized with the aim to be convinced that the statement of such respectful organization as’ Amnesty International” as to violation of human rights, in particular Somali foreigners staying at this establishment, is more excogitated than is real.
It was not succeeded to get any comments from Somalis. According to the words of the management team of the centre, they refused categorically to talk “on camera”. Instead, they spent some hours talking with representative f UNO. According to their words, they managed to get on well with Somalis.
Noel Kalhun, regional counselor on legal issues of Supreme Commissar of UNO:
- These are people fleeing from such a serious situation as in Somalia. It gives them hope that they at least got to a safe place. People heard about the procedure they would undergo, what they should expect. Because they wanted to hear what are the further steps. They heard that Migration Service would accept their applications, it would consider applications concerning different forms of protection.
State Migration Service assures that they keep all resolutions of UNO concerning Somalis. They will not be sent to the country of their origin. However, first they will check once more if migrants are really from Somalia. And then, a decision will be made as to each f them. Four migrants wished to get refugee status and have already written corresponding applications.
Authors: Hanna Shulgina, Oleksandra Fetysova. Cameraman: Vitaliy Havrylets. First National TV.
Source: http://1tv.com.ua/ru/news/2012/01/23/14745
21-01-2012
Release of Somali migrants who went on strike at Temporary Holding Facility in the village of Zhuravychi, Volyn, is impossible at the present moment. It was announce about by director of Refugee Department of State Border Service Nataliya Naymenko.
Recall, on January 18, 2012 it became known about the hunger strike of some tens of Somalis at THF in Zhuravychi, who demand release and issue of documents for staying in Ukraine. Rebellious mood of Somalis was confirmed by the direction of the centre. However, the deputy director of regimen of THF of MOI of Ukraine in Volyn region Oleksandr Luschak marked “there is no hunger strike as such” as illegal migrants eat biscuits, tea and “Mivina” (macaroni).
Naumenko informed that Somalis receive packets with food and they refused to get meals from dining room. “On my point of view, this hunger strike is mostly a play to audience. The story starts from the moment when persons learned about the fact that they will be hold in such a centre not six months but a year in accordance to new legislation, which came into force on December 25,2011”, – reported Naumenko.
Migration Service informed that first they have to establish if detainees are really Somalis. “If the fact that migrants arrived fromSomaliais established, so long-term decisions will be made on each case separately. But they will not be expelled toSomaliain no any wise.” – Naumenko explained. She stated that release of the Somali migrants is impossible.
At the present moment there are 58 migrants from Somalia under arrest at THF “Zhuravychi” waiting for deportation.
State Migration Service convince of the fact that Ukraine keeps all resolutions of UNO as to citizens declaring their arrival from Somalia.
In its letter to Minister of Interior of Ukraine, organization Amnesty International appealed to Ukrainian authorities to implement all their obligations guaranteeing Somalis’ access to just procedure of refugee status and subsidiary protection granting in case they cannot be recognized as refugees.
Amnesty International states that there are probably children among the third part of detainees. However, Naumenko assured that all persons placed to centres are adult.
Source: http://www.volynpost.com/news/1264-somalijci-goloduyut-na-publiku–migracijna-sluzhba
18-01-2012
There are some tens of Somalis went on hunger strike at Temporary Holding Facility (THF) in the village of Zhuravychi, Kivertskyi district, Volyn region. They demand release and issue of documents permitting them to stay in Ukraine.
Kyiv Post writes about this referring to very participants of the hunger strike and human rights activist.
«We became the hostages of situation, when we cannot receive any document for staying on the territory of Ukraine and without documents we are detained by police and are hold by months at THFs», – it is said in the statement of the hunger strikers.
«Persons can stay at THF up to 12 months, then they are just released not issuing them any documents. Thus, the most of them find themselves again at THF. «Some of us faced already this some times and in addition to it there a lot of us living on the territory of Ukraine already 5-6 years», – Sultan Haib, representative of the hunger strikers says.
According to his words, State Migration Service does not give any documents to asylum seekers in Ukraine due to which they could stay in Ukraine legally until receiving the decision on refugee status granting.
The procedure of refugee status grating in Ukraine is complicated by the fact that State Committee of Nationalities and Religions was liquidated last year and new body engaged in migration issues, – State Migration Service – yet is not formed.
«Those of us having this status before cannot prolong it. In such a way they have to become illegal migrants, thus in a result we are detained», – Haib says.
Somalis tell that because of such situation in Ukraine some of them tried to cross the border to European Union illegally in order to ask asylum there. but unfortunately, they were apprehended by Ukrainian border guards.
«So, we neither live here nor look for better destiny in other countries. We are not criminals, we people fleeing from Somalia in order to save our life”, – Haib says.
The human rights activists report that at THF in Zhuravychi, Volyn region Somalis are on hunger strike “at least a week”.
«At the present moment we cannot verify the exact number of hunger strikers, however it is clear that there are some dozens. It is known that there are women and children among them», – reports Maksym Butkevych from “No Borders” engaged in help to refugees and asylum seekers.
“Now we can not verify how many hungry people, but it is clear that several dozen. We know that among them are women and minors, “- said Maxim Butkevych of the project” No Borders “, which deals with refugees and asylum seekers.
Unofficial information about the hunger strike is also confirmed by international human rights organizations, but so far there are no official comment.
State Migration Service still does not answer to the questions Kyiv Post about the situation in Zhuravychi.
Somalia is recognized as a country where constant danger is threatened to people’s lives. The expel of the citizens asking asylum in another country, is prohibited.
Despite the fact that Ukraine ratified the Convention on Refugees’ Rights, and therefore it obliged to grant refugee status to people who are in danger in their countries, there are very few of those seeking status get it. So, in 2010 the figure was only about 10%.
As of 2010, there were only 2 000 334 refugees living in Ukraine.
Source: http://www.volynpost.com/news/1183-u-zhuravychah-nelegaly-ogolosyly-goloduvannia
18-01-2012
Three citizens of Vietnam were apprehended by the border guards of BS “Uzhgorod” in Transcarpathian region. A man and two women were stopped some hundred metres before the border. According to the words of detainees it became known that they intended to get to Poland, particularly to Warsaw. They were transported to the border as if by two unfamiliar persons whom they paid $ 3 thousand each. But the men in masks taking them to the forest ordered migrants to wait. Then they went to the car and disappeared in unknown direction. On arriving to Warsaw,Vietnams had to pay some more thousands of dollars. Now, operative actions are carried out on establishment of circumstances of the infringement and persons involved in it.
18-01-2012
The border detail of BS “Delovoe” detected four men without documents identifying them during the check of the regular bus making its direction on the route “Odesa-Khust”. As it became known from the words of detainees they were citizens of Afghanistan. On arrival to the territory of Ukraine, the travellers started to Transcarpathia at once aiming at further illegal moving to the countries of Western Europe. All above mentioned citizens were detained. Measures on establishment of the circumstance of infringement are under the process at the present moment.
18-01-2012
On January 12, 2012 the officers of Ukrainian Security Service stopped two cars with six migrants from Afghanistan without any documents and two local residents nearby the village Velykaya Dobron, Uzhgorod district. It was established that the group of illegal migrants was delivered to Transcarpathia from Chernivtsi. The organizers of channel of illegal migration intended to take Afghans illegally through the state border of Ukraine to the EU countries.
On January 13, the inspectors of SSU in Transcarpathian region instituted criminal case against detainees according to Part 2 Article 332 (illegal transportation of persons through the state border of Ukraine committed on the preliminary deal by the group of persons) of Criminal Code of Ukraine.
Investigation goes on.
16-01-2012
Due to watchfulness of border detail during the control of the train “Kharkov-Uzhgorod” a man of Asian appearance was detected and detained, who tried to avoid the meeting with the border guards. In the result of detention it was established that this person without documents named Vietnam the country of his citizenship and the point of his destination had to be Slovakian Republic. But now his destiny will be decided by the court.
05-01-2012
During the first four days of New Year border guards of Transcarpathian region stopped three attempts of illegal crossing of the state border of Ukraine.
The first trespassers of Transcarpathian border in 2012 were two persons without documents, who were detained by the border guards of BS “Uzhgorod” after overcoming the barrage fence beyond the check point. In the course of clarifying the circumstance of infringement and establishment of detainees’ citizenship, it became known that one of them was the citizen of Azerbaijan. He arrived to Ukraine to visit his friend – citizen of Ukraine. He planned to get to Slovakia with his friend. Later on in accordance with the results of operational-test activities, the exact goal of their intention to get abroad and persons involved in their assistance will be established.
The second detention took place in the area of BS “Tysa” – it was 65-year-old resident of Russian Federation, the native of Dagestan was apprehended in the evening some metres before the border line. Border detail received information ahead of time about unfamiliar person intending to cross the border to Hungary. At present moment the personality of detainee and circumstance of his trip to European Union are established.
26-12-2011
During last weekends Chop border guards stopped seven attempts of illegal cross of the state border.
On December 24, four citizens of Somalia were detained during their attempt to get to the countries of European Union in the area of BS “Palad Komarivtsi”. In such a way, not taking into account the “arming” of the border guards by set of thermal imager, the “guests” of the country were detected during their moving towards the state border, and their detention became merely a question of time.
The same situation happened in an hour in the area of BS “Uzhgorod”. Information about possible illegal crossing of the border reached the head border guard in time. The rest signs of detention – the number of detainees, their citizenship and motives of violation were identical to previous one.
Two citizens of Georgia decided to cross the border in the area of BS “Guta” in order to realize their intentions as to the search of better life conditions and get to Slovakia. However, their plans were not realized and they were detained on December24 in the evening by the border guards of mentioned department. As a rule, in these cases decision on punishment concerning all detainees will be made by the court.
But the most attentive border service was “Tysa”, which in the course of two nights detected and detained four citizens in their area, who were trying to get to Ukraine by turns with false passport documents. Thereby, all detained persons will have to pay a fine in the sum of 1700-3400 UAH.
Generally, Chop border guards detained 14 persons in the course of two days.