Mid-Year Monitoring Report on crossing EECP’s and IBCP’s (January-June 2021)

01.10.21

This report provides the results of observation at all seven Entry-Exit Checkpoints (EECPs) and the survey conducted at two of them (Novotroitske EECP in Donetska Oblast and Stanytsia Luhanska EECP in Luhanska Oblast) in the first half of 2021. Additionally, the report also contains some preliminary observations at International-Border Checkpoints (IBCPs) from April to June of 2021.

HIGHLIGHTS:

The flow of crossing people continued to decline in 2021. According to the State Border Guard Service (SBGS) statistics, there were 6,589,000 crossings in the first half of 2019 and 2,656,000 crossings in the corresponding period of 2020, while only 274,000 crossings have taken place in the first half of 2021.

In the first half of 2019 and 2020 receiving state benefits and other cash-related issues were the most commonly cited reasons given for NGCA residents to cross the contact line, whereas in 2021 visiting relatives was their most common reason listed. Before the introduction of quarantine restrictions, long lines were a major concern at all EECPs. When crossings were allowed through two EECPs, possible issues with permits were most commonly cited by respondents in 2021 as reasons for their concern.

In the first half of 2021, UNHCR supported services facilitating the crossing of the EECPs. For example, at least 6,500 people were provided with help from R2P monitors with installing and running the mobile phone application Vdoma, and about 1,200 people were assisted by R2P in getting permissions for crossing from the Coordination Group. Also, 29,918 vulnerable elderly persons were provided with transport support at Stanytsia Luhanska EECP by NGO Proliska’s electric vehicle.

In line with R2P advocacy, on 22 March 2021, amendments were made to Resolution #1236 on COVID‑19 measures that greatly facilitated the crossing procedure for foreigners. Foreigners who have permanent residence in Ukraine are no longer required to have insurance when crossing the contact line to GCA.

R2P monitors reported one fatality at zero checkpoint of Stanytsia Luhanska EECP in 2021. The primary cause of death was related to heart problems.

Сrossing the contact line remained possible only through two EECPs: Novotroitske in Donetska Oblast and Stanytsia Luhanska in Luhanska Oblast (see the table in section 8. Observations at EECPs)
More – in the full Report below.

Mid-Year Report is available in

Ukrainian and English

The survey is a part of the monitoring of violations of rights of the conflict-affected population including internally displaced persons (IDPs) within the framework of the project “Advocacy, Protection and Legal Assistance to the Internally Displaced Population of Ukraine” implemented by Charitable Foundation (CF) “Right to Protection” (R2P) in partnership with and with the financial support of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). The objective of the survey is to explore the motivations and concerns of the civilians travelling between the non-government-controlled areas (NGCA) and the government-controlled areas (GCA), as well as the conditions and risks associated with crossing the contact line through EECPs during the quarantine period. More statistical data are available on the 2021 Eastern Ukraine Checkpoint Monitoring Online Dashboard.

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30.09.21

Our colleagues continue to provide legal assistance to the communities in eastern Ukraine within the framework of the project “Ensuring access to social services in local communities along the contact line”. Recently, they paid working visits to the east of Ukraine, met with the participants of our project, and presented the first developments and results of the joint work.

In the spring of this year we began active work with the amalgamated territorial communities (ATCs) which were formed during the decentralization reform in Ukraine. This is an absolutely new experience for Ukraine, which is, of course, accompanied by the emergence of many problems throughout the country, especially in the east, near the contact line. Therefore, we have started cooperation with five ATCs, three of which (Sartanska, Marinska and Svitlodarska) are from the Donetsk region, and two (Hirska and Nyzhnyoteplivska) from the Luhansk region.

Допомога громадам. Як БФ «Право на захист» допомагає ОТГ створювати ефективну систему надання соціальних послуг Helping the communities. How R2P helps ATCs create an effective system for providing the social services

Last week our colleagues proudly presented the Draft of the Community Social Passport and discussed the results of a comprehensive study which the R2P conducted in the summer. With the use of focus groups and questionnaires, we have collected the information on the actual state of affairs in the system of social services in the communities, learned about the needs of people living in abovementioned communities, and so on. Team of the R2P had analyzed the results and announced them during the meetings. In the future, this data will help to create and maintain a working social protection system in every amalgamated territorial community in Ukraine.

“These are just the first steps. Next, it is required to create a system of communal institutions which provide social services, as well as to organize the structural units within the Amalgamated Territorial Communities, which not only will be responsible for providing social services to the locals, but also will conduct full monitoring and evaluation of the quality of the already provided services”
– notes Oleg Lyubimov, Decentralization Coordinator at CF “Right to Protection” (R2P).

We already have some fruitful results of our common work with the communities. Thus, in addition to the developed community social passports in Hirske, our employees helped to add the recently formed municipal institution of the Hirske City Civil-Military Administration (CMA) to the register of social service providers. In Marinka, our colleagues provided methodological assistance in preparing a project application for participation in the UNHCR grant competition.

We have also discussed the reorganization of the Bakhmutsky Territorial Center for Social Services, which was transferred to the balance of the Svitlodar City CMA. In Nyzhnyoteplivska ATC, we have discussed the options for providing social services to the community residents both on the basis of inter-municipal cooperation and via creating its own municipal institution, the Center for Social Services.

Lawyers of the CF “Right to Protection” (R2P) also advised the management of the amalgamated territorial communities on the financial support of the system of social services. Colleagues spoke about the various subventions provided to the local budgets from the state to support the ATCs and their social services system.

There is still lots of work to be done. Yet we hope that this work will yield fruitful results.

The project “Ensuring access to social services in local communities along the contact line” is implemented by the CF “Right to Protection” (R2P) with the support of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Ukraine.

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28.09.21

Recently the team of the R2P Project “Legal Assistance to Refugees and Asylum Seekers in Ukraine” joined the round table “Interaction of public authorities, legal aid centers and the CSO sector in the context of refugees and asylum seekers in Ukraine.”, which took place in Lutsk, Ukraine. We have continued the annual tradition of meeting with the government officials who work with the asylum seekers, who were detained at the border for illegal crossing and placed in temporary detention facilities in Ukraine.

The event was attended by the representatives of the State Migration Service of Ukraine, the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine, the employees of the Temporary Accommodation Facility for Migrants, judges (Kivertsy District Court of Volyn Region), employees of the Kivertsy Legal Aid Bureau and Lutsk Local Center for Free Secondary Legal Aid. The round table discussion was organized with the assistance of the National School of Judges of Ukraine and lawyers of the free secondary legal aid system.

Such meetings have also been held during the strict quarantine restrictions, albeit in an online format. This year’s round table became a platform for topical discussion, exchange of ideas, experiences, and even for the search for cooperation opportunities.

For example, this year a representative of the Volyn Temporary Accommodation Facility told about how they managed to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 and had no cases of the disease on their territory among the detainees. The lieutenant of the Lutsk border detachment shared the experience of our foreign neighbors from Poland and compared it with the Ukrainian realities. The judge of the Kivertsy District Court spoke about the peculiarities of consideration of cases of detention and extension of stay in the Facility for asylum seekers and shared his experience from his practice. The lawyers provided interesting information on the representation of the interests of the beneficiaries of the R2P in the courts in the cases of detention and expulsion.

The main purpose of such events is to create a space for communication and exchange of views to be able to address many relevant issues. That is why we are sincerely grateful to everyone who had the opportunity to join the dialogue!

Якою є взаємодія органів влади та громадянського суспільства у питаннях допомоги біженцям? How do the authorities and civil society interact to help refugees and asylum seekers?

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28.09.21

This week our colleagues had the opportunity to talk to refugees from the different parts of the globe. As a part of the new project to support and create independent refugee communities, the team of the CF “Right to Protection” (R2P) in Kharkiv joined a meeting, conducted in a very interesting and interactive format.

This week our colleagues had the opportunity to talk to refugees from the different parts of the globe. As a part of the new project to support and create independent refugee communities, the team of the CF “Right to Protection” (R2P) in Kharkiv joined a meeting, conducted in a very interesting and interactive format.

In our opinion, an informal atmosphere, interesting master class, and delicious food can become the perfect mixture to unite a small group of people and involve them in the next activities in the future.

Неформальна комунікація – ключ до нових ідей. Як Фонд допомагає біженським спільнотам знайти себе в Україні

So what did we do? Lawyers of the R2P have met with a women’s refugee community, and jointly attended a clay molding master class in Kharkiv, and then ate a delicious pizza nearby. The aim of the master class was to show the women that serious issues related to building their own communities, preparing projects, and solving collective problems can (and should!) be discussed during a friendly meeting and casual communication.

During such moments when, for example, you show each other ready-made ceramic products that you made with your own hands, or when you enjoy a delicious slice of pizza, the greatest ideas come to mind!

And this meeting was not an exception. The women, the refugees from different countries, realized that they would like to continue such a communication format and unite for a common goal. Next time, they will organize a similar meeting on their own, without the help of the R2P, and will come up with new cool ideas that will bring their community closer to the implementation of a small, yet very important project.

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27.09.21

On September 21, Sofiia Kordonets, Oksana Zhelanova, Dmytro Hanych, and Kseniia Karagyaur met with the representatives of bodies and subdivisions of the State Migration Service of Ukraine in Kharkiv Region as a part of a thematic round table. During the event, participants had the opportunity to exchange experiences in submitting / accepting applications for recognition as stateless person and discussed the ways to cooperate in this area.

In a favorable working atmosphere, participants spoke about:

The main categories of persons applying for recognition as a stateless person;
Challenges when submitting / accepting applications from stateless persons;
Ways to facilitate the submission of an application for recognition as a stateless person in non-standard cases.

Since April 2021, the Stateless Determination Procedure is available to everyone in Ukraine, now stateless persons can apply to the State Migration Service for recognition. So far, being accompanied by the lawyers and attorneys of the team of the CF “Right to Protection” Project “Legal Assistance to Stateless Persons in Ukraine”, 59 persons were able to submit their applications for recognition as stateless persons.

Due to effective cooperation with the State Migration Service of Ukraine in the Kharkiv region, some of these applications were submitted in Kharkiv and in the region.

In connection with the implementation of the Stateless Determination Procedure in Ukraine, the R2P is conducting and plans to continue to hold events with the representatives of public authorities and other institutions in order to establish effective cooperation in this area.

Круглий стіл «Подання та прийняття заяв про визнання ОБГ: виклики та шляхи взаємодії»

Our team is sincerely grateful to all the participants for their interest in the topic and activity during the round table!

USEFUL THEMATIC MATERIALS:

Statelessness in Ukraine: scope and causes of the problem

Про правовий статус особи, яку визнано ОБГ та про статус заявника

Legal status of a person recognized as a stateless in Ukraine and the status of a person who applies for a statelessness determination procedure (SDP)

Statelessness: Ukraine became the 21st country in the world and the 15th in Europe to establish a separate Stateless Determination Procedure (SDP)

Instruction: How to apply for a stateless person status?

Project “Legal assistance to stateless persons in Ukraine” is implemented by the CF “Right to Protection” (R2P) with the support of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)

24.09.21

Today, September 24, is the second day of an international conference on “Statelessness and the right to citizenship in Europe: progress, challenges and opportunities”, organized by the UNHCR and the Council of Europe. The conference in Strasbourg is attended by more than 120 people, including representatives of government agencies, international and non-governmental organizations, academia representatives, and stateless persons.

During the conference, the participants discussed issues related to the establishment, implementation and access to the stateless determination procedure (SDP), access to citizenship, and obstacles that arise during the confirmation/acquisition of citizenship. Attention was also paid to the issue of statelessness among children and possibilities to prevent new cases of statelessness. Everyone had the opportunity to speak, share their experiences, the challenges they had to face, as well as to tell their recommendations for overcoming obstacles when working with stateless persons.

Міжнародна конференція: «Безгромадянство та право на громадянство в Європі: прогрес, виклики та можливості»

Sofiia Kordonets, Manager of the Project “Legal assistance to stateless persons” represents Ukraine at this conference. Today our colleague will tell about the experiences of the R2P team, about cooperation with the State Migration Service of Ukraine and other government agencies in the context of assistance to undocumented persons, as well as about the first achievements and challenges in implementing SDP in Ukraine.

Other speakers have repeatedly mentioned Ukraine due to the recent introduction of a statelessness determination procedure. Experts have noted that Ukrainian legislation in this area is one of the best in Europe.

Ukraine is a signatory to the two UN Conventions – the 1954 Convention Relating to the Status of Stateless Persons and the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness, as well as committed to the UN 2030 Sustainable Development Goals Agenda, which also includes the goals connected to elimination of statelessness. In Ukraine, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is implementing the Global #IBelong Campaign to End Statelessness.

Statelessness is a problem that is relevant in every corner of the globe, although the right to citizenship is enshrined in several international conventions and treaties. Citizenship is the first condition for access to social and economic human rights.

There are different causes of statelessness, including, for example, complexities of conflicts in nationality laws, state succession, forced displacement, historical and contemporary migration, structural birth registration problems, access to nationality, and related administrative practices.

Statelessness: Ukraine became the 21st country in the world and the 15th in Europe to establish a separate Stateless Determination Procedure (SDP) Без громадянства: Україна cтала 21-ю країною в світі і 15-ю — в Європі, яка має окрему процедуру визнання ОБГ

“This conference is a unique opportunity to meet the best experts and colleagues in the field of overcoming statelessness in Europe, as well as to have the opportunity to share experiences on ways to solve problematic cases and to discuss the further steps in ending statelessness in all countries. This discussion is incredibly inspiring, gives a lot of ideas and useful information for further work. One of the participants of the conference, who is a stateless person, said very important words: “If you are stateless, you have to run, run, run, while others walk to achieve even the slightest thing”. I believe that we all have to run together, and only then we will achieve our common goal.”
– says Sofiia Kordonets, Manager of the R2P Project.

The participants summarized the results of the conference and identified further steps and priorities in overcoming statelessness in Europe and agreed upon:

continuing to disseminate the information on stateless persons, their status, and opportunities to resolve the situation;
further work with public authorities to enable access to the stateless determination procedure;
further work with legislation to remove barriers to access to citizenship
advocating for newly recognized stateless people to have access to basic social and economic rights.

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22.09.21

Today we present the report ‘Crossing the contact line’ for August 2021, prepared by the CF “Right to Protection” (R2P). The report is based on data collected during the monitoring of the situation on EECPs.

More statistical data is available on the Online Dashboard.

As in the previous months, crossing the contact line remained possible only through two out of the seven Exit-Entry Crossing Checkpoints (EECPs): Novotroitske in Donetska Oblast and Stanytsia Luhanska in Luhanska Oblast. Numbers of people crossing remained much lower than in the pre-COVID times. According to the data from the Joint Forces Operation Command and monitoring specialists of the R2P, in August about 70000 people crossed the contact line, around the same as in July. The other five EECPs have remained closed from the NGCA side since July 2020. Armed groups claim that this is being done due to the COVID-19 restrictions.

‘Crossing the contact line’, August, 2021 (REPORT) Перетин лінії розмежування через КПВВ, серпень–2021 (ЗВІТ)

Resolution 787 came into force on 5 August 2021. According to it, travelers entering Ukraine are generally required to self-isolate for ten days with the exception in certain cases. The installation of the smartphone GEO-tracking app “Vdoma” has become a mandatory requirement again for the first time since May 2020. Those who cannot install the Vdoma app are subject to observation in a state-run facility. If a person crossing from NGCA has been invited to receive a COVID-19 vaccine in Ukraine, self-isolation is not necessary.

In August, 9029 vulnerable elderly persons were transported across the Stanytsia Luhanska EECP by an electric vehicle provided by the NGO Proliska.

In August 2021, 1139 persons (51%) who entered Government-Controlled Areas (GCA) via Novotroitske EECP took antigen tests for COVID-19, while at Stanytsia Luhanska EECP it was 2289 persons who were tested (8% of those who entered GCA). Meanwhile, in Donetska Oblast, 109 people were referred to the observation facility, because they had no mobile phone and thus could not download the “Vdoma” app. There were no observation facilities in Luhanska Oblast.

Since Resolution 787 was adopted, people that were placed in the observation facility in Hostre settlement have faced difficult conditions. Since August 6, 2021, R2P Team had started monitoring the situation and conditions, there was no food in the facility until the 18-th of August. The problem was resolved thanks to the NGO “Proliska” intervention. Moreover, PCR tests were available only on Tuesdays, so that people sometimes had to wait for up to a week to be tested.

The total number of crossings in August 2021 was 90860. Almost 94% of all people crossing the contact line in August did it through the Stanytsia Luhanska EECP. In Donetska Oblast, 2612 people received authorization to cross the contact line in the GCA direction and 3205 to the NGCA, respectively. In the Luhanska Oblast, 42375 people crossed the contact line to the GCA and 42668 to the NGCA.

The report is based on the results of a survey, regularly conducted by the specialists of the Charitable Fund “Right to Protection” (R2P) at the five (currently – two) EECPs in the Government-Controlled Areas (GCA) and administered regularly since June 2017. The survey is a part of the monitoring of violations of the rights of a conflict-affected population within the framework of the project “Advocacy, Protection and Legal Assistance to the Internally Displaced Population” implemented by the R2P with the support of UNHCR. The purpose of a survey is to explore the reasons and concerns of those traveling from the NGCA to the GCA, as well as conditions and risks associated with crossing the ‘contact line’ through EECPs. The information collected in the survey helps identify protection needs, gaps, and trends, and provides an evidentiary basis for the advocacy efforts.

The report is available in

English

Ukrainian

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22.09.21

Almost 8 years of hostilities in the Donbas;
Almost 1.5 million registered IDPs;
Thousands of destroyed buildings, housing, and property.

All these are the consequences. But today we already need to speak about the solutions, not the consequences. For many conflict-affected persons, the solution is a new home on free Ukrainian territory to replace what was lost during the evacuation from now Non-Government Controlled Areas (NGCA) or destroyed/badly damaged as a result of the hostilities. The housing may allow these people to start a new life from scratch and to recover from what they had to go through.

Therefore, it is not surprising that the most popular reason why IDPs turn to us for advice and counseling is housing. People are interested in buying their own housing at the expense of state and international donors, as well as to be provided with temporary housing by the local authorities.

Consultation: "All-Ukrainian housing programs for internally displaced persons (IDPs)" Консультація: «Всеукраїнські житлові програми для внутрішньо переміщених осіб»

That’s why our colleagues in the Donetsk region, jointly with the leadership of the Kostyantynivska amalgamated territorial community, held a legal consultation on the topic of all-Ukrainian housing programs for internally displaced persons (IDPs).

Lawyer Serhiy Shkramada, together with the regional monitors Natalia Shevchenko and Iryna Abramova, told the participants about the current housing programs.

IDPs who had visited the group consultation learned how to apply for the programs “Affordable Housing” and “Government of Germany (KFW) loans for IDP Housing” (including the application through the “Diia” portal), which documents are required and what are the conditions for participation in these programs. In particular, everyone was able to get answers to individual questions, such as pensions, targeted aid, etc.

The “Advocacy, Protection and Legal Assistance to the Internally Displaced Population” project is implemented with the support of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

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21.09.21

Prior to the International Day of Peace, established by a resolution of the UN General Assembly, and celebrated annually on the 3rd Tuesday of September, the team of the CF “Right to Protection” (R2P) has prepared a selection of materials devoted to dialogues and their significance in peacebuilding processes.

Our Fund has long been involved in organizing dialogue meetings in communities, so we understand how important and valuable this tool can be in the context of peacebuilding. The purpose of such meetings is to solve complex social problems. Dialogues provide an opportunity to resolve various issues, starting with the conflicts in communities and ending with the implementation of initiatives and reforms at the national and interstate levels.

The experience of developed countries shows that dialogue is one of the most civilized and effective peacebuilding approaches, especially for the communities that strive to build a free democratic country based on the principles of an open society integrated into the international space.

Therefore, if you want to learn more about dialogues, their essence, purpose, and significance in the context of peacebuilding, as well as about the peculiarities of their implementation, we recommend reading the selection below:

How, when, and where does the dialogue work? (in Ukrainian)

The manual was developed by the OSCE. In an accessible and interactive form, the authors explain the difference between conflict and dialogue, outline the roles of dialogue participants, as well as provide an in-depth look into the subject.

OSCE, How, when, and where does the dialogue work ?, Practical Guide, 2019, Kyiv, P.-50

https://www.osce.org/files/f/documents/3/c/422822.pdf

Course “How to effectively plan and conduct an important dialogue” (in Ukrainian)

This educational material was also prepared by the OSCE. The authors reveal in detail the methodology of the dialogues. The materials include the author’s work from trainers and experts in the field, including those materials that have been developed in the framework of international cooperation. The training course is designed for people who want to understand in detail all the basic processes related to the organization of the dialogues.

OSCE, “How to effectively plan and conduct a dialogue”. Educational materials for seminars for representatives of public relations departments, ministries, and other central executive bodies. April 24/26, 2017, Kyiv, P.-80

https://www.osce.org/files/f/documents/a/4/452806.pdf?fbclid=IwAR2VQi8oBD7H2ijUHY64Or1ZxbNkCLhCU1pkSPu2n9Sr_1swhSS6KPuhydM

Dialogue standards: definitions and principles

The initiative to create the document belongs to the Institute for Peace & Common Ground (IPCG), which prepared the first edition of the “Dialogue standards: definitions and principles” in consultation with partner organizations working on the implementation of dialogue in Ukraine.

IPCG, Dialogue standards: definitions and principles, version as of February 20, 2018, Kyiv, P.-12

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1JN3QRE8EXU5D1FvY3Go1H19ZvRNHNxAo/view

Про діалог: 4 найкращих праці про роль діалогів у миробудуванні

Dialogue as a tool in peacebuilding: Theoretical and empirical perspectives.

The formulation of the problem highlighted the need to systematize knowledge about dialogue and the possibility of its use for the implementation of peace initiatives.

Centre for Peace Studies, Faculty of Humanities, Social Sciences and Education, Irene Incerti-Théry, Master’s thesis in Peace and Conflict Transformation – May 2016, С.-104

https://munin.uit.no/bitstream/handle/10037/9852/thesis.pdf?sequence=2

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