July 2012

Research “Integration of refugees in Republic of Belarus, Moldova and Ukraine – Strategy of actions” showed that problem of housing, especially in big cities, causes great difficulties for citizens, however for refugees this problem is more acute and influences upon more sufficient percentage of this category. Housing needs considerable financial resources as rent payment is the biggest part of expenditures for singles as well as for families. There is no housing financed by government for the refugees as well as there is no access to subsidized housing (excluding Temporary Holding Facilities served for persons seeking asylum, where  some refugees who are the most vulnerable can live during definite period of time). In the frames of the first stage of “Project of local integration of refugees in Odessa region international grants were received for building or restoration of hosing.
Few of the refugees own housing and majority of them face difficulties while looking for suitable official place of residence (in particular, not many house owners want people to know that they rent out a flat in order to avid tax payment, and many refuse foreigners at all). Present situation with housing causes problems with local police (district police), who unreasonably make home visits or in extraordinary situations act in such a way that refugees regard this to be an attempt to “clean out” the district from refugees (or asylum seekers or from definite foreigners).

Many refugees live in conditions, which do not correspond to standards and they cannot afford to have something better. The rent payment taken from refugees often exceeds the sum citizens pay. As it was established, a spread practice for majority of refugees (and local residents) is absence of written rent agreements as the house owners, as a rule, do not want to declare their income. Considering high rent payment and cost of life, most part of the refugee families cannot have any economies. For housing, which is not big and in bad conditions, one can not economy much, but savings on food undermines refugees’ health. Living cooped, with other refugees, closeness to sick and alcoholics, absence of solitude, bad isolation and anti-sanitary conditions, insufficient meal ration – all these cause rather sad social problems. They are very hard to solve because refugees often work unofficially in order to cover the expenditures. Even if they get more or less satisfactory job, however, they hardly make both ends meet. Any unlucky chance or serious problem with health can mean the loss of income and debts for them.

It should be marked that responsibility for presenting housing to refugees lies upon Ukrainian government. It is said about also in the research “Integration of refugees in Republic of Belarus Moldova and Ukraine – Strategy of Actions”, in the frames of which some practical and strategic recommendations were elaborated concerning housing provision for refugees. These are the recommendations:

1.  National policy of integration must include statements about housing for newcomers as well as for existing vulnerable groups of refugees. Such statements must be directed upon the avoidance of social problems connected with over-population and accumulation of refugees, especially in the capital, as well as upon the broadening of refugees’ opportunities for integration into local society. Remembering about rights of the refugees, in particular the right for free movement, yet one can determine the places with accessible housing and sufficient job opportunities in order to direct there refugees with corresponding support and aid.

2. Inform newcomers about places, where accessible housing can be found; stimulate the interest in moving to these regions assisting in employment and education; allot subsidies on it; propose accessible housing to those who agrees to leave the capital.

3. More vulnerable category of refuges (who will always depend on the government – elderly, sick, etc..) should get housing, mainly in the capital reserving or building definite number of social housing or hostels specially on this purpose in coordination with donors and other organizations (UNDP, UNESCO, World Bank, EU).

4. Aiming at assignment of accessible housing to the most vulnerable or marginalized categories on the whole, an opportunity should be examined as to conduct of researches on housing and adopted decisions in this sphere (it is land allotment, subsidized credit schemes). Such a research could be became a base for new programmes of accessible housing for the refugees as well as for vulnerable or marginalized social groups and also attract support of international organizations and bilateral donors.

Information is presented by Regional

Representation of UNHCR in Belarus,

Moldova and Ukraine on the materials

 of the research “Integration of refugees

 in Republic of Belarus, Moldova

and Ukraine – Strategy of Actions”.

Source: http://migraciya.com.ua/article-728

27-07-2012

25-year-old citizen of Bangladesh temporarily living in Kharkov has organized illegal crossing of the border from Transcarpathia to Hungary for several times. Thus, on July 22 law enforcement agents established that in the area of BS “Velyka Bihan” the Bengal man intended to smuggle his three country fellows to EU countries through Ukrainian border.  Illegal migrants were detained and handed over to Mukachevo Border detachment. At the present moment, these migrants are at Temporary Holding Facility in Zhuravychi, Volyn.

Law enforcement agents are still looking for the organizer of illegal cross of the border.

Source: http://ua-reporter.com/novosti/119954

27-07-2012

Local residents noticed unfamiliar persons in the border area in the morning time and immediately informed the border guards. Aiming to check information and detain unfamiliar persons, operative group started to the place.  After a while, border guards stopped the trespassers.

Two men and one woman intended to cross the border illegally. All detainees introduced themselves as citizens of Georgia, however, only one man could confirm his citizenship and identification of his personality.

As it happens in the most cases of detention of illegal migrants, the goal of their trip was to get to desired European Union. But the troubles of detainees were not over. During the realization of verification activities one of the detainees addressed to the border guards with a proposal “to give” freedom to all detainees for monetary compensation in the sum of € 150.

The officer reported about this fact to the board. All circumstances are established now on the fact of monetary compensation offering to the official person of State Border Guard Service of Ukraine.

Since the beginning of the year, border guards of Chop Detachment apprehended about 200 illegal migrants, about 20 persons of them were the citizens of Georgia.

Source: http://ua-reporter.com/novosti/119957

25-07-2012

SBS officers detained  a traveller. A man was detected during the check of the cargo train at railway check point “Vadul Siret”. Hiding in one of the coaches with wood and trying to avoid passport control, trespasser intended to get to Romania. According to his words, he was the citizens of Kirghizia.

At the present moment, detainees is hold to be identified, then he will have to bear responsibility before Ukrainian legislation.

Source: http://pvu.gov.ua/ua/about/news/news_243.htm

24-07-2012

On June 20, Ukraine celebrated World Refugee Day. Actually, there were no celebrations as such as this delicate and not simple subject especially in conditions of Transcarpathia, where border guards block the road to the next “portion” of illegal migrants storming the border almost every week …

Temporary Holding Facility in Transcarpathia is presented by the corpuses – in Mukachevo and Perechyn. There are 56 persons hold there altogether, who claim to get refugee status, among them there are 29 children including 5 teenagers.

Recently, in the frames of joint project of Uzhgorod press-club and Danish Refugee Council “Ukraine is my second motherland” a holiday was organized for children residing in Mukachevo shelter with the performances of clowns, master-classes, soap bubbles show, and concert. Children, of course, were glad, but on the whole not all the residents of THF are ready to support the slogan of the project not concealing their wish to see EU countries as their second motherland (most often – Germany).

Each of local inhabitants has own tragic story though many of them are no inclined to believe them till the end (truthfulness of which, of course, is impossible to believe) can influence upon the resident of the shelter to get refugee status and be able whenever to find himself in EU or the USA.

For example, smiling 17-year-old boy Marufiy Said Murtaza told that his family was proposed to cross the border to Slovakia for $ 5000 for each person, for $10 000 smugglers can take illegal migrants to Germany. All family of Marufiy consists of 8 persons that is why it is rather expensive trip to get to cherished Europe! His family moved from Afghanistan to Pakistan and lived there not bad until his father was killed. His mother did not want to return from disquieted Pakistan to less calm Afghanistan, thus she chose a risky way: she took children, they arrived to Moscow, then to Odessa and after that they got to Mukachevo. These journeys have been lasting already for three years. During this time, Maruf learned not bad Russian. In general, living conditions in the centre are good. They say that sometimes they even can earn some money at part-time jobs.

Iranian star of Transcarpathian football

Deputy director of THF Petr Rosola explains: no documents for refugees are produced here, they are just hold here. The government allots 15 UAH per day for one person – it is enough for people to maintain themselves. There is no single dining room for everybody because refugees coming here arrive from different countries and they used to different food. Local residents can freely leave the centre, but they have to come back before 11 p.m..

Some of them find part-time jobs. The main obstacle is the absence of language knowledge. “We had negotiations with the board of Mukchevo factory “Flextronics” – Petr Rosola tells, – and were promised to employ new people, our clients can also get job there. It is very important for them. Probably, they stop to break the border if they will have jobs.

Some of the resident of the centre have really decided to stay in Ukraine. For example, a family from Syria has lived in Mukachevo since 2007. They cannot get document proving their status so far, but they lose their hopes. The youngest member of the family 16-year-old Falka is hardly distinguished from local residents. She attends school and speaks perfect Russian and Ukrainian, she has never heard any offensive words towards herself.

Iranian Murteze Validze also feels himself comfortably in Ukraine, who is called Denis in the shelter. The boy arrived to Kyiv for studies three years ago, however he decided to go further – to Germany. After unlucky cross of the border in Mukachevo, Iranian “Denis” showed outstanding results in football. Not long ago he was invited to football club “Meteor” of the village Pystryalova. Now he is a local “star”: infrequent match of the team is always accompanied by the goal of Murteza. The boy is so happy to have life as now that he even does not want to think about leaving Ukraine.

One more talent of the centre is deaf-and dumb spouses from Afghanistan. The husband and wife explained that their defect appeared in a result of contusion during the bombing. It is impossible to learn if it is true, however the woman from this family makes beautiful things from beads, leather, velvet.

Under-age persons have the hardest life in the centre of all, who fled their country without parents. Now, there 5 such persons in Mukachevo, namely from Somalia. Many “illegal” children were born already in Ukraine, particularly in 2007 in Mukachevo maternity house there were 13 babies and 1 pregnant woman lives here now.

Source: http://ua-reporter.com/novosti/119779

23-07-2012

When the owner was building the house, neighbours were wondering that he removed a lot of soil out of there. They thought he was digging the place for swimming pool. Nobody lived in that house. The name of the persons visiting the house the most often was learned by law enforcement agents. It is famous Uzhgorod businessman and Maecenas. Law enforcement agents found and took all material evidences from the house in Uzhgorod, under which there was a tunnel going to Slovakian side. As it became known, Commission of Security Service would work there. Soon, the tunnel will be exploded or flooded. In 2004, the land in this area was given to some workers of Security Service for merits. One of them sold his land. Just this is the land under which the tunnel was excavated in 4 years. Experts insist that the tunnel is modern. Special excavating machines were involved in its creation. Law enforcement agents confiscated a kilo of white powder as well as handmade trolleys, tracks, motors and contraband cigarettes. Besides, five passports of the citizens of Afghanistan were found. Builders working nearby had often seen that minibus with people arrived to the house.

Source: http://tsn.ua/ukrayina/vlasnikom-tunelya-u-yevropu-ye-vidomiy-uzhgorodskiy-biznesmen-pravoohoronci.html

20-07-2012

Built up tunnel under the border of Ukraine and Slovakia could be used not only for contraband of goods but also for smuggling people – it was said by the Minister of Interior of Slovakia Robert Kaliak.

“Tunnel was equipped on high level, home-made train was running there. It was used for contraband of consumer goods mainly cigarettes. However, we suspect that tunnel was also used to smuggle illegal migrants. This is an extraordinary event.  There was no similar thing either in Slovakia or in neighbouring countries.”

The tunnel to EU was almost 700 m. It lies at a depth of 6 meters. Underground joins storage facilities of the town Vyshne Nemetske at Slovakian border and one of the private houses in Uzhgorod.

Inside there is electricity, there are railings along the tunnel on which home-made mini electrical train goes. Slovakian police officers confessed that they were just shocked not by finding the tunnel under the border but by its construction and equipment.

The facts state that this construction was used for smuggling – big reserve of tobacco goods were found in the rolling stock. However, the inquest regards that there will be much more persons involved in the case.

It is rumoured in Transcarpathia about possible involvement of authorities to large-scale smuggle way. Though, there are more questions than answers from Ukrainian side.

Source: http://ua-reporter.com/novosti/119617

17-07-2012

Appeal Court of Transcarpathian region left without changes the sentence of Uzhgorod Municipal District Court concerning four participants of organized criminal grouping, who smuggled illegal migrants from Afghanistan through Ukrainian-Hungarian border to the countries of European Union.  

It was established that in 2011, 38-year-old resident of Lviv took 9 citizens of Afghanistan by the bus “Lviv-Uzhgorod”. His accomplice, the inhabitants of border town Chop, waited for illegal migrants in Transcarpathia, who had to take illegally migrants through the state border in some days.

The organizer of illegal migrants’ smuggling – 38-year-old resident of Uzhgorod, condemned before for robbery, had constantly kept illegal migrants in sight and supported telephone connection with accomplices.

SSU workers detained 9 citizens of Afghanistan without any documents identifying them and three participants of criminal grouping in one of the private houses in the village Esen, Uzhgorod district, from where migrants had to be taken to Ukrainian-Hungarian border.

Besides, last year in May, law enforcement agents searched in Lviv and detained one more accomplice, who assisted in transportation of illegal migrants to Uzhgorod.

By the sentence of the court, four participants of criminal grouping were recognized guilty in accordance with Part 2 Article 332 (illegal transportation of persons through the state border of Ukraine on the preliminary agreement by the group of persons) of Criminal Code of Ukraine. The organizer of illegal transportation of illegal migrants was condemned to punishment in the form of 6 years of imprisonment. His accomplices were given 5 years of prison with appointed probation term for two years to each of them.

Source: http://zaholovok.com.ua/do-6-rokiv-uvyaznennya-zasudili-organizatora-perepravlennya-nelegaliv

17-07-2012

During six months of the current year in comparison with analogous period of the last year, the number of attempts of illegal cross of the state border has decreased in 33 % and the number of detained illegal migrants has increased in 24%.  

Mukachevo Border Detachment has summed up the work for six months of the year 2012. In spite of complicated dynamic situation formed in the course of the indicated period, Mukachevo border guards have implemented their tasks.

The main efforts of Border Detachment were concentrated upon – providing with safe security of the border, improvement of qualitative parameters of the service of border security, counteraction to channels of illegal migration and strengthening of counteraction to smuggling activities.

Generally, 52 illegal migrants were apprehended during the reporting period. Last week, 42 illegal migrants were detained for the similar period.

Source: http://zaholovok.com.ua/tsogo-roku-na-zakarpatti-zbilshilas-kilkist-nelegaliv

16-07-2012

Last weekend border guards apprehended two more groups of illegal migrants intending to “force their way” to EU countries illegally beyond the check points.

In the first case, border guards of BS “V.Bereznyi” received information from local inhabitants about appearance of the group of unfamiliar persons in the border area. This information was passed to neighbouring subdivisions. The border guards of BSs “V.Bereznyi” and “Novoselytsya” organized the search of “uninvited guests”. In half an hour, operative group of BS “Novoselytsya” detained a group of African people, who had no any documents identifying their personality. However, they reported their nationality to be Somali. They intended to get to the territory of European Union.

In the second case, two citizens of Republic of Moldova “failed” to get over Slovakian border in the area of BS “Guta”. This time the border detail worked well – after detecting the trespassers and reporting about them to subdivision it continued the trailing. Soon, border detail directed the operative group to the unknown “travellers”. After detention, trespasser informed that they did not have any documents identifying them and they named Moldova as the country of their origin. At the present moment, detainees are under the procedure of circumstances establishment. Administrative-procedural documents are prepared. Their responsibility before the law and further destiny will be decided by the court.

Source: http://uzhgorod.net.ua/news/49397