17-10-2011
During the last period, a tendency is observed as to lessening of the flows of illegal migration at the state border. The seekers of the better destiny in the countries of European Union change the directions of their trips and use Ukraine less as a transit way. A sufficient start in decrease of number of illegal migrants has been marked since 2008. Nowadays, the flow of migrants reduced in 2.5 times. Out of all detected illegal migrants 88,5% were migrants from the countries of CIS and only 10,2% form the countries of migration risk, while already 3 years ago the percentage of the migrants from Southern-Eastern Asia (SEA) and Africa reached 20%.
Disclosure and calling to criminal responsibility of the organizers and accomplices of the groupings engaged in smuggling migrants caused not only to decrease of the flows of illegal migration along the territory of Ukraine and to their reorientation for transit movement through Belarus and countries of the Baltic States. Increase of criminal responsibility of involved persons to smuggling has also influenced upon this fact. Generally, during 2011 State Border Service of Ukraine has commenced 82 criminal cases according to Article 332 of Criminal Code of Ukraine “Illegal transportation through the state border of Ukraine” and 125 persons were called to criminal responsibility – these are mainly residents of border regions who were organizers, accomplices and smugglers of the migrants.
Besides, reorientation of illegal entering to Ukraine is clearly observed through “green” area of the border and not through the check points. Legal enter with private, studying and tourist goals as well as movements according to forged documents are used on this purpose.
One of the popular schemes is arrival of the foreign citizens for studying. For example, in the year 2010 educational establishments issued almost 12 thousand invitations to foreigners for studying, about 7.5 thousand out of them were migrants from SEA and Africa. However, 10% of those entering Ukraine did not arrived to educational establishments. Intending not to admit the spread of as if legal channel of getting to territory of Ukraine, State Border Service of Ukraine together with Ministry of Interior conducted operation “Student” two times. These actions helped to disclose the situation at the higher institutions and prevent infringements. Besides, a series of joint action were worked out by Ministry of Education and Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine.
Foe efficient counteraction of illegal migration, State Border Service of Ukraine has approved and implemented complex plan for 2011 in accordance to which constant interactions are carried out by the workers of SSU and MOI, interested Ministers and municipal power bodies as to introduction of system measures directed upon detection and detention of illegal migrants.
First of all, intensified control is carried out for legal entering to the territory of Ukraine by illegal migrants. Thus, during 9 months of 2011 only according to the results of interviews 175 foreigners were rejected in entering Ukraine– potential illegal migrants. They had active Ukrainian visas but could not explain the goal of the trip to the country. 53 foreigners from SEA and Africa were detained in the check points through the state border, who used strange or forged document, including passports of the citizens of Israel and Great Britain. For attempt to cross the state border 26 foreigners out of 935 detained illegal migrants studied at higher institutions of Ukraine. 86 detained foreigners had certificates on application submission as to refugee status granting in Ukraine and 16 foreigners were detained again.
Besides, a wide check is implemented as to detection of illegal migrants already on the territory of Ukraine. The officers of Border Service together with workers of MOI check hotels, hostels, carriers as well as detect channels where accomplices are engaged in illegal transportation of people through the border. Just during the autumn period, the officers of State Border Service and law enforcement agencies stopped the activity of 46 organized criminal groupings.
Results of such complex counteraction to illegal migration became fall in the number of detected illegal migrants at the state border and in the controlled border areas in comparison with the last year it is less in 2,5 times: during 9 month of 2010 – 15,7 thousand illegal migrants were detected and detained, and during the analogical period of the current year – 6,2 thousand person, 5 thousand of them were rejected to cross the state border in the check point. Majority of illegal migrants were detected at the border on Russia(more than 2700 persons) and Moldova (almost 1300 persons). Also 435 illegal migrants were detected at Ukrainian-Slovakian border, 506 at the border on Republic of Belarus, 158 – on Poland, almost 100 – on Hungary, 29 – on Romania and 77 and 933 persons were detained when travelling through sea and air ways of Ukraine correspondingly.