Due to the restrictions on crossing the contact line, thousands of people are blocked from accessing their permanent residence, visits, or care for family members, collecting social benefits or pensions to which they are entitled, obtaining birth and death certificates amongst other essential needs.
As a result, many NGCA residents decide to go to GCA through the Russian Federation and cross the Russian-Ukrainian International Border Crossing Points in Milove and Hoptivka. This trip necessarily takes much longer than crossing the contact line, and incurs additional expenses, for transportation, and, in many cases, the payment of a fine for illegally crossing the border.
The team of the CF “Right to Protection” (R2P) has prepared the note “Going around the contact line. Information on movements of NGCA residents through the Russian Federation”. This note is based on information collected by R2P at the two border points, through interviews with State Border Guard Service of Ukraine staff, people crossing the border points, and observation, during monitoring visits in April and May 2021.
The Note is available
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