Mukachevo centre for refugees keeps 59 persons (Video)

10-04-2012

Illegal migrants who tried to get to European Union live in Transcarpathia.

They were not admitted there by Ukrainian border guards, they cannot return back home – there they are threatened with prison or death. There 59 resident in Mukachevo centre. Half of them are children and 8 of them are without accompaniment of adults. Now, here is 18-year-old Amir Hosein Sharifi, who fled from war in Afghanistan 3 years ago.

“There is still war in my country. It will never be quietly there. I was threatened in Afghanistan for the cooperation with Americans, for my family was rich. And they constantly wanted to take our money” – Amir told.

In the centre for refugees boy studies Ukrainian language and earns money as a translator. He dreams to go to the West, if he does not go there he will stay in Transcarpathia.

Husband and wife from Somalia do not see their future in Ukraine. In Transcarpathia they met each other, married and now have a son. They cannot neither rent a flat nor to find some work, they live on the support of their relatives.

“We do not have life we wanted. We just eat and lie. There is no work…we wanted to rent a flat but were refused because of the colour of our skin” – refugees from Somalia, Chega is telling.

“My wish is have a normal life, to have own house and job. Then I will be happy and calm about the future of my son” –woman-refugee from Somalia says.

Already for 5 years Syrian woman Istaha Mustafa together with her 6 children have been living in the room of 15 m2. They were making their illegal trip to cherished Germany. When they were caught at Ukrainian-Slovakian border, the head of the family returned to the country of origin. Children do not have documents, they go to Ukrainian school and forget their native language.

“I cannot return back to Syria. I will be put to prison at once” – it was said by the refugee from Syria.

The most unprotected categories of migrants, families with children and under age children without adults are settled to the centre for refugees. They are fed by the budget costs and for the money of benefactors.

“It is allotted 15 UAH per one person for food. It is not taken into account weather it is a child or adult person. Here they are on complete state maintenance. That is all municipal services are paid by the government” – it is stated by the acting director of TAF in Transcarpathian region, Petro Rosola.

Almost 7 thousand illegal migrants were detained in Transcarpathia in the course of 3 years. According to the law, all of them are criminals, they are kept in close camps, where they are awaiting for refugee status. However, this status is given only to 2% of applicants. Person who is not able to prove that in his native country he is threatened with danger, so he asks for protection. This kind of request became possible due to a new law that widened the conditions for those granted asylum in Ukraine.

“These are mostly persons from the countries where their life is threatened with death, tortures, and non-freedom. This right has been already enjoyed by 45 persons in the region. These are mainly migrants from Somalia, Syria, Afghanistan” – it was reported by the chief of Head Administration of Migration Service of Ukraine in Transcarpathian region, Igor Mykhailyshyn.

A psychologist works with refugees, they are rendered free legal aid. Benefactors promise to place boys to Driving Courses. But for the majority Ukraine is only a transit to cherished Europe.

Source: http://zakarpattya.net.ua/News/95197-U-Mukachivskomu-tsentri-dlia-bizhentsiv—59-meshkantsiv-VIDEO