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Укр / Eng
21.07.22

Recently, there were meetings of specialists of mobile psychosocial support groups of the CF “Right to Protection” with representatives of the Zhovtovodsk and Novomoskovsk communities.

Our colleagues from mobile groups take care that Ukrainian cities are sufficiently equipped with mental health and psychosocial support for IDPs and other vulnerable groups. All in order for the population is better protected from the psychological harm caused by war, in the future. In particular, our colleagues are called upon to provide assistance and training to local stakeholders in host communities on psychosocial support in crisis situations.

Meetings were held with a considerable number of participants. On the part of the Novomoskovsk community, the heads of the Department of Labor and Social Protection of the Population, the Territorial Center for Social Services, as well as representatives of the city authorities, and on the part of the Zhovtovodskaya – employees:

  • department of family support and coordination of social services provision of the Department of Labor and Social Protection of the Population;
  • department of education, department of youth and sports of Zhovti Vody city council;
  • Center of social services provision of the Zhovti Vody city council;
  • Zhovti Vody Lyceum;
  • NGO “New Life of Zhovti Vody”.

“We discussed ways of cooperation between community bodies and the Right to Protection Foundation within the framework of the project, as well as the educational needs of specialists in communities. Among them, in particular, such urgent requests as the so-called “professional burnout” of specialists caused by an increase in their workload, work with people in a state of severe stress, peculiarities of work with IDPs adults and children, help in adapting to life in a new place, etc. These meetings were necessary to reach an agreement on conducting psychosocial support trainings for representatives of the above-mentioned institutions”, – explains Oleksii Istomin, the project’s mobile groups coordinator.

It will be recalled that mobile psychosocial support groups at “Right to Protection” Charitable Foundation are teams of specialists who provide specialized assistance to war victims. Professional psychologists and social workers under the leadership of their coordinators have been actively working since May of this year: together they have already made more than three hundred trips to Dnipropetrovsk and Chernivtsi regions, providing help to those who need it, and do not stop at that point.

Mobile groups operate within the “Right to Protection” Charitable Foundation project “Increasing resilience and capacity to overcome difficulties by the most vulnerable households affected by the conflict in eastern Ukraine” in partnership with ACTED Ukraine.

19.07.22

Nelly Semenivna is 86.Before the war, she lived in Avdiivka, Donetsk region: the infamous events in the city forced the elderly woman to make a fateful decision on her own – to leave everything and evacuate.

Finally, Nelly Semenivna found shelter in Novomoskovsk, Dnipropetrovsk region, but she thinks about the future with tears in her eyes: she is completely alone in this city. In addition, to be left without housing, to lose everything that was created during life – quite a test for any person, and especially – at such a respectable age.

Nelly Semenivna turned to the Dnipro mobile group herself: the elderly woman needed to complete the necessary documents – her new residence place registration and obtaining the IDP status. Our heroine was extremely confused: “where to go from the very beginning? what documents are required?” – these and other questions were worrying Nelly Semenivna. Therefore, our specialists immediately came to her aid.

“The procedure took place in several stages: before visiting the Department of Labor and Social Protection – an authority that provides social support – we visited the bank branch. This was necessary in order to obtain the bank details of the payment card so that our beneficiary could later receive cash assistance for internally displaced persons. After that, we went to the social protection department, made all the relevant applications to obtain the status of an IDP and the corresponding payments”, – says Anastasia Bryantseva, Dnipro mobile psychosocial support group’s social worker.

In a week, our colleagues together with Nelly Semenivna went to the institution again, where our heroine received a ready certificate. In addition, our employees helped the woman to submit an application for financial support from “eDopomoga” – a platform that helps those who suffered from russian aggression.

“Nelly Semenivna is an extraordinary woman: she simply conquered our team with her courage and strength of spirit. We are happy that now she has all the necessary documents and will finally be able to receive the appropriate humanitarian and financial aid,” – adds Anastasia.



It will be recalled that mobile groups operate within the “Right to Protection” Charitable Foundation project “Increasing resilience and capacity to overcome difficulties by the most vulnerable households affected by the conflict in eastern Ukraine” in partnership with ACTED Ukraine.

18.07.22

The European Network on Statelessness, of which CF “Right to Protection” is a member, recently published BRIEFING #3: Protection gaps for stateless refugees from Ukraine.

In this briefing, ENS draws attention to some of the main challenges on the protection of stateless persons (SPs):

  • In some countries, including France, Portugal, Switzerland, and the UK, it is still unclear whether all those fleeing Ukraine may enter the territory regardless of documentation status.
  • No country has extended eligibility to all stateless people and those at risk of statelessness to include those who cannot prove prior legal residence in Ukraine.
  • Reports are continuing to emerge of antigypsyism and discrimination in access to the territory, temporary protection, services, and support faced by Romani people fleeing Ukraine including in Poland, Moldova, and the Czech Republic. 
  • There is very limited data on the nationality status of refugees from Ukraine. There are issues with identification of nationality or statelessness at border crossings and registration points and problems with how nationality data is recorded during birth registration procedures, which creates an additional risk of new cases of statelessness emerging among children whose nationality is not being accurately determined at birth.

To address these issues, ENS provides recommendations for key stakeholders in the briefing, including that EU Member States and other European States should extend temporary forms of protection to all stateless people and those with undetermined nationality who cannot meet current eligibility requirements, due to their statelessness or documentation status, and that the European Commission should revise the Operational Guidelines for implementation of the Temporary Protection Directive to better address the particular protection needs of stateless people. 

The team of the CF “Right to Protection” draws attention to the fact that the statelessness determination procedure in Ukraine is young – it has been in operation since May 2021, and not everyone is aware of existence of stateless persons recognised under the procedure. The statelessness determination procedure remains operational even during martial law in Ukraine, and the number of recognised SPs is gradually increasing (according to official data and as stated by UNHCR, as of 30 June  2022, 270 people were recognised as stateless  and at least 500 applications are under consideration). Among them are people who fled to Europe as a result of the armed invasion of the Russian Federation after February 24.

STATELESS PERSONS RECOGNISED UNDER THE UKRAINIAN STATELESSNESS DETERMINATION PROCEDURE:

1) have a temporary residence permit and due to their legal status are not considered permanent residents of Ukraine;

2) do not have another document certifying their identity (e.g. passport or identity card), because such a document is not provided for by law;

3) most likely, after recognition as stateless, they did not have time to obtain a travel document for stateless persons;

4) may only obtain statelessness status under the procedure in Ukraine after leaving Ukraine, which must be taken into account by the authorities of the host state, but which in no case should be a reason for canceling statelessness status in Ukraine;

5) do not have a country of origin as such, and were first recognised as stateless in Ukraine and documented in accordance with Ukrainian legislation. More about the peculiarities of documenting SPs from Ukraine in this link;

6) don’t have a legally established procedure to return to Ukraine if they do not possess a stateless person travel document (nor do people with undetermined nationality who fled Ukraine after 24 of February).

According to ENS, the Czech Republic, Belgium, and Spain have specified that people recognised as stateless under Ukraine’s statelessness determination procedure are eligible for temporary protection, while in other countries this is still unclear. This practice is a positive example of granting protection to SPs who were forced to leave Ukraine due to the war. CF “Right to Protection” supports ENS’ recommendations to EU member states, European states and the European Commission, and calls on the Government of Ukraine to continue informing the latter about the statelessness determination procedure in Ukraine.

14.07.22

Even in times of war, Ukraine remains a host country for refugees – foreigners who, even before 24 February, fled hostilities, wars and political or religious persecution here. Citizens of Syria, Afghanistan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Iran and other countries around the world have sought (and continue to seek) protection in Ukraine.

Agzam* was one of those whom fate made a fugitive. And his entire family – his wife and four children – as well. In his home country of Kazakhstan, Aghzam was an active member of a religious Islamic organisation persecuted by the country’s authorities. The man was prosecuted in Kazakhstan for his religious beliefs: he was considered a criminal there only on the basis of his peaceful religious views.

“Before the official verdict was handed down, I managed to leave the country and take my family with me. We ended up in Ukraine, where we asked for international protection,” he recalls.

Agzam is now 45 years old. Due to his health problems, with his first disability group, he needs constant monitoring by specialists and treatment.

Friends from his religious organisation, who were also seeking protection in Ukraine, suggested that the man could turn to the Right to Protection for help – as a human rights organisation that has been supporting refugees from all over the world for many years.

“The man approached us in 2020, and since then we have accompanied his migration case. In two years, he has twice been refused recognition as a refugee or as a person in need of complementary protection by the State Migration Service. We went to court twice, proving that his family could not return to his homeland because he was facing imprisonment there because of religious persecution. We gathered the necessary package of documents with evidence and information about the country of origin and details of the criminal case against Agzam in Kazakhstan. Eventually, in the summer of 2022, the Lviv District Administrative Court ordered the State Migration Service to recognise Aghzam as a refugee or a person in need of complementary protection in Ukraine,” said Anton Maksymov, lawyer with the Right to Protection Foundation.

After years of wandering and a long trial, Agzam and his family least expected such a decision during the martial law in Ukraine, which has already become a second home, so the news was a real blessing for them.

According to Agzam, he sees his future in Ukraine, his eldest son is doing his best to integrate. And Agzam himself is waiting to be able to benefit from the right to medical services and disability payments, which he hopes will be available once the State Migration Service makes its decision.The family hopes for the best and believes that Ukraine will win this war.

“It is very important that the judiciary in Ukraine, despite the war, continues to work because people like Agzam still need protection. For many of them, international protection in Ukraine is the only way to live a full life. This is not the first war for them, and they are seeking safety in Ukraine as a European country where human rights and international law are respected. In Agzam’s case the situation is aggravated by health problems and his inability to enjoy his rights and provide for himself,” adds Anton Maksymov.

We wish Agzam and his family health and strength, and will continue to help in all legal matters.



*Name changed at the request of the beneficiary.

UNHCR Ukraine – Aгентство ООН у справах біженців в Україні