13-08-2012

There are 2453 officially recognized refugees from 47 countries of the world residing on the territory of Ukraine. Only for six months of 2012, 828 foreigners applied to State Migration Service with application on their recognition as refugees or persons in need of protection. During the last year, from the moment Law of Ukraine “About refugees and persons who need subsidiary or temporary protection” came into force, for the first time 37 foreigners were recognized as such in need of subsidiary protection.

In the frames of international project “Regional programme on protection of refugees – Phase-II” European Union has allotted € 1,5 million for aid to Ukraine, Moldova and Belarus. Out of them € 0,5 million was given to solve problems with refugees in Ukraine. Financing of the programme will last till December 2013.

Programme foresees financing of nationwide network of lawyers, who will follow up how are the rights of refugees and asylum seekers are kept, the reconstruction of THFs, the work of translators is ensured, language courses for asylum seekers and support of programme on migrants’ employment. Besides, it is assistance in certification of diplomas and grants (up to 25 000 UAH) for their starting own business in Ukraine.

At the support of UHNCR, on August 9, 2012 a meeting of National Managing Committee of the project in Ukraine was hold in Lviv at the participation of UNHCR specialists, Representation of European Union in Ukraine, International Organization of Migration  (IOM) as well as representatives of State Migration Service of Ukraine, Highest Administrative Court, SSU, Commissioner on issues of realization of national preventing mechanism. The representatives of public human rights organizations from different regions of Ukraine participated in the meeting.

Coordination of actions of governmental and public structures working with refugees and asylum seekers in Ukraine became the main subject of discussion.

According to the words of Carol Shusha, manager of sector on law supremacy and law exercise of Representation of EU in Ukraine, European Union invests sufficient costs into integration programmes. However, these investments are too little. The important readiness of the governments of the countries is to accept these investments. European experts point out a progress in apprehension of importance of integration processes by Ukrainian authoritative institutions, but they also admit the existence of the problems left and need to be solved.

Source: http://www.ihrpex.org/uk/article/3579/z_pochatku_roku_v_ukrajiny_poprosyly_prytulku_828_bizhentsiv

13-08-2012

In Transcarpathia SSU completed pre-trial inquest in criminal case as to the citizen of Turkey, who intended to smuggle repeatedly illegal migrants through the state border. 

On August 8, inspectors of Administration of SSU in Transcarpathian region directed criminal case to the court commenced against the citizen of Turkey, who intended to smuggle four illegal migrants through Ukrainian-Slovakian state border.

As it was established, in 2009 foreigners was already sentenced to 5 years of imprisonment for illegal transportation of persons through the state border of Ukraine and falsification of documents. However, by the court decision he was released pre-term and expelled from Ukraine.

In June of the current year, he turned to organize illegal transportation of two country fellows and two Syrians by transit through Ukraine to EU. As malefactor was forbidden to enter Ukraine, he used forged passport on different name.

The organizer with the group of illegal migrants got to Ukraine through Odessa and Lviv by different means of transport. In order to smuggle illegal migrants beyond the check point at Ukrainian-Slovakian state border, the malefactor took a taxi.

Law enforcement agents detained the violator at the road nearby the settlements Tarnivtsi-Kontsovo, Uzhgorod district, which is 1,5 km before the border of Ukraine on Slovakian Republic.

Concerning the citizen of Turkey, SSU inspectors in Transcarpathian region commenced a criminal case according to Part 3 Article 332 (illegal transportation of persons through the state border of Ukraine) and Part 4 Article 358 (falsification of documents, seals, stamps and blanks, realization or use of forged documents, seals, stamps) of Crime Code of Ukraine. The criminal is threatened wit 7 to 9 years of imprisonment.

Source: http://zaholovok.com.ua/na-zakarpatti-suditimut-turka-za-perepravlennya-nelegaliv-do-slovachchini

09-08-2012

On August 9, 2012 seminar-conference has started its work in Odessa. The subject of the events is apply of legislation about refugees and persons who need subsidiary or temporary protection of SMS of Ukraine in common with Administration of Police of Migration MOI of Ukraine 

Conference was opened by the chief of State Migration Service of Ukraine M.M.Kovalchuk. The participators of the conference were the first deputy head of SMSU V.V.Sheibut, chief of Administration of Police of Migration Control of MOI of Ukraine I.I. Bashta, director of Refugee and Foreigner Department of SMSU N.M. Naumenko, the worker of representation of UNHCR in Ukraine, Belarus and Moldova – D.Plechko, managing staff of APMC MOIU, chiefs of Departments on Migration Control HA MOIU, chiefs of territorial subdivisions of Migration Control of HA MOIU, chiefs of territorial subdivisions of HA MOIU.

Source: http://migraciya.com.ua/article-799

06-08-2012

During the check-in of the passengers in the airport Boryspil , who made their way to Stockholm, border guards detained to men. They presented forged documents for control. These documents belonged to citizens of Turkey. Border guards established that photos were replaced in the documents. However, soon, law enforcement agents, found another pack of documents in travellers’ things – these were Turkish service passports. As it was explained by 33 ad 48-year-old detainees, they were citizens of Syria. With the help of forged documents, they planned to get to Sweden, where their relatives lived.

Source: http://pvu.gov.ua/ua/about/news/news_269.htm

03-08-2012

Visa-free order of entry between Ukraine and Turkey has just come into force. 25 and 21-year-old citizens of Syria tried to take opportunity of this. Thus, in the airport Boryspil during the check in of the passengers arriving from Istanbul, border guards detected two young men, who presented forged passport documents of the citizens of Turkey. Border guards established that photos of the owners were replaced in the documents. Passengers explained that they were Syrians and proving it they gave their own passports. At the present moment “travellers” are sent by return flight to the country of take-off.

Source:  http://pvu.gov.ua/ua/about/news/news_266.htm

01-08-2012

Meeting “Conditions for children-refugees, asylum seekers in Ukraine and Transcarpathia. What does government propose, what can we do ourselves?” was held in Uzhgorod press-club.

The matter was about situation with migrants as well as children, who cross the border without documents. It was also reported about the place where detained people were directed, what legislation of Ukraine proposed in these cases and problems the like.

“There are not so many migrant-children, however in the context of international obligations implementation by Ukraine, this subject is very important, – it was said by the chief of  Refugee Department of Head Department of Migration Service of Ukraine in Transcarpathian region, Nikolay Tovt.

–  No matter how many children there are, law and mechanism foreseen by it must work in respect of one child. Problems of this category can be solved with the help of the public. It is a normal practice in countries with strong financial resources than in Ukraine. We state that non-governmental organizations have also actively joined this work”.

In accordance with the words of Tovt, 18 persons were granted subsidiary protection in July in Ukraine (not refugee status, namely “subsidiary protection” – it gives the same rights as refugee status does).

Nikolay Tovt also told that children of two categories arrive to Ukraine – those who got to Ukraine in the composition of families and those without accompaniment of adults.

The third part of submitted applications to Migration Service in Transcarpathia are children separated from families. These are often citizens of Somalia (one more is from Afghanistan and 1 from Vietnam). Overall, these are girls. Besides, there are 12 newborn babies since the opening of Temporary Holding Facility in Mukachevo.

Children-refugees and asylum seekers have opportunity to attend schools. On the other hand, difficulties arise with vocational training of the teenagers. Thus, it is difficult to employ child-refugee to vocational school, as educational establishment must have special licenses to educate foreigners.

According to the words of N.Tovt, appointment of legal representatives belongs to problematic issues concerning children-refugees. It is rather formal status as such a representative is somehow diverted from his client. “Legal representative is an official of Municipal Council or Regional State Administration, who does not see what problem a child has. We do not have corresponding children establishments yet, these children are even still unsettled to foster families.”

Head deputy of Department on Work with Refugees, Inquest and Administrative Proceedings of the Headquarters of Chop Border Detachment, Artem Oliynyk reported that in the course of 6 months of the current year 221 persons were detained for attempt to cross the state border of Ukraine (262 persons in 2011), 71 of them were citizens of Ukraine, 147 – foreigners. Often these are citizens of Somalia (42 persons), Moldova (26) as well as Georgia, Afghanistan, Russian Federation (Chechnya) and one representative from Bahamian Islands.

Concerning minors, border guards detained 26 persons from Somalia (2 of them were recognized as under-age after forensic medical examination) and 2 children from Afghanistan (accompanied by parents).

Source: http://ua-reporter.com/novosti/120180

31-07-2012

Two citizens of Georgia were apprehended at the railway station “Chop” in Transcarpathia. Being on duty, the border guards of Chop detachment were guarding persons, who may later try to cross illegally the border.
Border guards decided to check documents of two guys who were Georgians, got off the train arriving from Odessa.
Subsequently, during intercourse 24 and 27-year-old detainees confessed that they really intended to enter the European Union illegally. Now men are called to administrative responsibility.

Note that for the six months of this year, workers of State Border Service of Ukraine detained more than 1,000 people for illegal cross or attempt to cross illegally the state border of Ukraine and for violation of the rules on stay by the foreigners in Ukraine.

Source: http://ua-reporter.com/novosti/120118

31-07-2012

Appeal Court of Transcarpathian region left without changes the sentence of Velykyi Bereznyi Court concerning participants of organized criminal grouping, who in the end of 2008 smuggled almost 30 illegal migrants through the state border of Ukraine to Slovakian Republic.

It was established by pre-trial inquest that in 2008 – 30-year-old citizen of Afghanistan, Kyiv resident, decided to transport illegally his country fellows through the Ukrainian state border to EU. On this purpose, the Afghani had found the associates – inhabitants of Transcarpathian region.  Two persons agreed to be involved in the affair – 32-year-old resident of Perechyn condemned before for illegal transportation of persons through the state border and theft and inhabitant of village Zhornava, V.Bereznyi district having criminal past as well. The participants of the grouping attracted also other persons to unlawful activity. In particular, the resident of v. Zhornava was helped by his daughter, 18-year-old student of one of the universities of the region, as well as resident of Kremenchug and 20-year-old inhabitant of village Vyshka, V.Bereznyi district.  Duties of the gang members were strictly defined. Afghan man formed groups of illegal migrants and organized their transportation to Kyiv.

Other malefactors met the groups of illegal migrants in the suburb of the city of Kyiv and secretly delivered them upon before discussed route to Transcarpathia, to the places of temporary shelters in V.Bereznyi nearby Ukrainian-Slovakian, then illegal migrants were smuggled beyond the check points to Slovakia. Usually, about 5-6 illegal migrants were transported by the organized grouping at one time.

On November 15, 2008 in the suburb of the village Vyshka, police officers detained vehicle with 7 citizens of China and 3 Afghans with accompanied persons.

Transcarpathian SSU inspectors commenced a criminal case concerning the organizers of transportation of persons through the state border of Ukraine. V.Bereznyi District Court appointed punishment in the form of imprisonment for 4 years to the citizen of Afghanistan. Resident of Perechyn, before convicted for smuggling illegal migrants through the state border of Ukraine, was sentenced to 3 years and 1 month of imprisonment. The inhabitant of v. Zhornava was appointed punishment in the form of imprisonment for 3 years and 2 months. His daughter as well as the residents of Kremenchug and v. Vyshka were imprisoned for 3 years with probation period of 1 year.

Source: http://ua-reporter.com/novosti/120122

31-07-2012

Two citizens of Georgia were detained in the evening at the railways station “Chop” in Transcarpathian region. During the duty border guards of Chop Detachment watched over the persons, who planned to cross illegally the border. When two men, Georgians, descended  from the train arrived from Odessa, border guards decided to check their documents. Soon, in the course of a talk, 24 and 27-year-old detainees confessed that they really intended to get illegally to the countries of European Union. At the present moment, men are attracted to administrative responsibility.

Four more travellers were detained the day before at the railway station “Rava-Ruska” in Lviv region. They were citizens of Algeria of the age 20 and 25. However, the truthfulness of their words is established. Detainees did not have any documents. So, other conditions of their trip are also examined.

In the course of 6 months of the current year, the officers of State Border Service of Ukraine detained more than 1000 persons for illegal cross of the border or attempt to cross the border of Ukraine illegally and for the violation of the rules on stay at the territory of Ukraine by the foreigners. Majority of them are citizens from Moldova, Somalia, Georgia, Russia and Afghanistan.

Source: http://pvu.gov.ua/ua/about/news/news_261.htm

July 2012

Teenagers often do not now how to protect their rights. What should they do, where address for help? That is why trainings “Rights of a child” and “My rights and obligations” were conducted in the frames of joint project “Adaptation programme for children-refugees and asylum seekers residing at Temporary Holding Facility in Odessa” of Danish Refuge Council and Charity Fund “Sympathy”.

Considering complexity of material, colour posters with funny pictures with poems as to Articles of “Convention about rights of a child” were published. For younger children a play form was chosen in training conducting and an accent was made upon the rights and obligations of a child in the family and mode. Principle rights of children were included in the work with teenagers while learning the statements of “Convention about rights of a child” as well as Laws of Ukraine. Obligation and responsibility of under-age persons became the main issues of the trainings.

Minors remembered that in definite conditions they bare criminal, administrative and other responsibility. They learned to differentiate infringement and crimes.

Rights and obligations of teenagers defined by labour legislation were decided to be examined in details at the circuit training “Your future profession” at Odessa Municipal Job Centre due to which agreement was reached to be held it in August.

Source: http://migraciya.com.ua/article-778