10-11-2011
Scandal broke out in Transcarpathia: the public protest against the planning of building of three new centres to keep illegal migrants. However, neither local people nor municipal authorities were asked about their wish to give shelter to illegal migrants.
Information about these plans came to light quite accidentally: representation of European Union in Ukraine has spread press-release where it is said about allotment of €30 million to the country in order to solve the problems of illegal migrants. It was pointed out there that three centres for illegal migrants are planned to build in Transcarpathia.
In particular, press-release reported: “European Union allotted €30 million for problems solution as to illegal migrants, strengthening of national policy in the field of migration as well as building of seven centres of temporary accommodation and two centres for keeping migrants during next two and a half years in the context of Agreement on Readmission between EU and Ukraine”.
As to the idea of EU, this project “will help Ukraine to detain and treat correctly irregular migrants – in accordance with the best European practices and humanitarian standards”. Also, according to opinion of European and Ukrainian authorities who composed the project “…renewed centres will provide with corresponding conditions for residence and treatment of migrants accepted in terms of readmission or detained irregular migrants”.
According to information of EU, TACs are planned to be placed in Uzhgorod, Velykyi Bereznyi and Solotvyno in Transcarpathian region, four more centres are supposed to be opened in Lvov,Sumy and Luhansk regions. The building is expected to start in autumn 2011 and will finish in 2014.
Local journalists established at once, that municipal authorities have heard about these plans. Moreover, population is far from being pleased with these plans because their realization threatens with worsening of the region’s image and direct deterioration of criminal situation while on Transcarpathians’ opinion this money could be spent not for keeping but for deportation of illegal migrants.
During the attempts of addressing for the comments to representation of EU in Kyiv to persons indicated in the press-release on the part of Ukraine, a reply was received. It was mentioned that all information is at the official Internet-representation of structures of European Union.
Interesting situation has formed. Ukrainian officials make agreement with EU about the plans which suit Europeans very much but are not good for local population, while Ukrainian part does not give any information about these agreements. It is rather difficult to find this information on the website of EU – nobody systematize it especially for Ukrainians. And it is presented in English language, which is to say present some kind of difficulty to read for considerable part of Ukrainians.
Simultaneously, negative perception of these plans by local residents is quite understandable. People here still remember the outbreak of epidemic of typhus of Asian origin, which was fixed in Perechyn: dangerous infection got into water bodies due to “guests” there. One more moment is connected with holding of illegal migrants. Detained migrants in a great number were kept at local centre in Pavshyno for a long time. Means were not drafted for illegal migrants so border guards had to shorten rations in order to feed the “guests”. So, population has no point to be glad about secret plans of EU and Ukrainian authorities.
But great danger is hanged over local population connected with the plans in the context of the law recently initiated by Ministry of Justice of Ukraine at the head of Alexandr Lavrinovych, who introduced new rules concerning illegal migrants.
In particular, if to believe to formulation of its authors, this law is directed upon the speeding-up the realization of compulsory expel of the foreigners and persons without citizenship by means of terms shortening of administrative execution on the cases of their detention and compulsory expel. The main innovation is that now border guards detaining illegal migrant even without the documents do not have a right to keep them more than three days. If border guards did not identified the personality for such a short term (it is impossible to do it during 3 days), they should release him any way.
As border guards themselves point out that during three days it is physically impossible to establish personality of illegal migrant because it is impossible to carry out further procedures i.e. decide the future destiny of the trespasser. Practice showed at once that hardly all persons released after three days of detention illegal migrants are apprehended for the second time. In the period of release and the second detention illegal migrants have to eat something. Stealing, robberies and other criminal “side-effects” of the illegal migrants’ staying in our country start to take place.
Concerning European and its demands, so the position of parliamentarians should be recalled on this point in the context of illegal migration. “Bagnet” has recently cited the opinion expressed by national deputy of Communist Party of Ukraine Alexandr Golub on this point.
According to his words, Europe is not ready to open borders for Ukraine, however it is ready to turn it to settling for illegal migrants. “Undoubtedly, we would not like our country to be turned into so-called settling when all illegal migrants will be returned with all diseases, with all the criminal world, etc. Just in this Europe is interested. Is Ukraine interested in it?” – politician marked.
It is hard to evaluate the insight of the national deputy in the context of those things that are prepared now in Transcarpathia. HereUkraineis just obliged to protect its interests and not visa verse.
Moreover: concerning visa free regimen with EU, so its approaching can be quickened by another law “About documents identifying personality and confirming the citizenship of Ukraine” foreseeing introduction of biometrical passports for travelling abroad. This law foresaw also introduction of biometrical cards of the migrant which would be the basis in the system of registration and identification of migrants.
As it follows from above mentioned, organization of reliable control under migration processes right now acquires paramount importance due to which biometrical identification system of migrants can render serious help.Ukraine is entirely ready to serial issue of biometrical documents as well as migration cards and refugee certificates. However, prepared corresponding legislation is blocked by high-ranking Ukrainian authorities who have their own interest in it, and in the first place the head of Ministry of Justice.
Here, Lavrinovych does all for visa free regimen for Ukraine it will stay unachievable dream. Though, it is not a secret that this official is materially interested in calling to production of Ukrainian identification documents got stuck in corruption of German company. Protecting selfish interest, this official directed all his efforts upon the discredit of adopted Law by Supreme Council “About documents identifying personality and confirming the citizenship of Ukraine”. And here his actions somehow not much similar to efforts of approaching with Europe, about which Lavrinovych when reporting is much worried about.