Transcarpathians are against the opening of a new centre for illegal migrants in the region

11-03-2010

On March 11, 2010 some hundreds of inhabitants of the villages Fornosh and Dercen (Mukachevo district) gathered nearby the former military town which government of Tymoshenko planned to transfer to the camp for illegal migrants.   People first of all blocked the representatives’ actions of Ministry of Defence and Interior that were attempting to draw up a deed of acceptance and conveyance of the facility on the balance of Head Administration of MOI of Ukraine in Transcarpathian region.

At the present moment the former government and the ex-minister of interior Yuriy Lutsenko personally have lobbied the placing of the TAC for foreign citizens and persons with no citizenship in Transcarpathian region.

 In the end of October of the last year, Mr. Lutsenko staying in Transcarpathia declared that it was expedient to revive the camp for illegal migrants.  After continuous protests of Transcarpathian inhabitants the regional authority decided to close TAC in Pavshyno. Then executives of police planned to open an open centre on the basis of a former military town nearby the Dercen village (Mukachevo district).    The government of Tymoshenko started to realize the plan. Thus, under authority of Cabinet of Ministers the property complex was transferred to a management of Ministry of Interior of Ukraine on the eve of Christmas.

The inhabitants of Dercen and ones of the surrounding villages are very anxious about building of a new camp.  The peasants first of all are rather afraid of new infection diseases apparition together with illegal migrants.  Besides, the camp is planned to be built between the villages, senior pupils from Fornosh go on foot and by bikes to Dercen school.  So the parents worry about the safety of their children.  Finally, people express their indignation at the fact that something will be built on their lands not even informing them about it and asking advice on this point.  Thus, they are geared up for a fight against the building of the camp decisively and till the end.

During the meeting people were blocking the work of the representatives of Ministries of Defence and Interior which intended to put a period to conveyance of the facility.  Finally, the officials had to leave the military town because of the public pressure.  The village inhabitants are geared up decisively – they promise to continue preventing from any intentions of placing a camp here.  The peasants also adopted an appeal to President of Ukraine, Cabinet of Ministers and Supreme Council to prohibit the disposition of TAC on the territory of Mukachevo district.  They addressed to a new government to abolish the decision of Tymoshenko’s Cabinet of Ministers on facility transference on the balance of MOI.
The inhabitants of the villages are absolutely supported by the representatives of district and regional authorities.  The arguments are rather weighty.  In due time regional authority was successful in closing of the ill-famed camp for illegal migrants nearby Pavshyno.  There are some evidences that such a step was useful for the district.  The number of illegal crosses of the border has rather decreased.  Last year the quantity of detained illegal migrants shortened half as much on the territory of Chop and Mukachevo Border Detachments as compared to data of the year 2008.  The risk of dangerous diseases has also shortened.  The arrangement of the camp for illegal migrants in a tourist land, which borders on four countries of Europe, is definitely a wrong decision.  

Source: http://zakarpattya.net.ua/ukr-news-57652-Zakarpatci-protestuyut-proty-vidkryttya-v-oblasti-novogo-taboru-dlya-nelegaliv