In 2019, with tears in her eyes, Lida entered the Kharkiv office of the Charitable Fund “Right to Protection” (R2P) for the first time, holding her five-year-old daughter’s hand.
The woman said that she was born in a Roma family during the Soviet era. She has been living in the Kupyansk district of the Kharkiv region since the late 1970s, but no documentary evidence of this exists. A woman cannot prove her citizenship of Ukraine and obtain a passport.
The Migration Service did everything possible for Lida – established her identity, and issued a certificate, but it was not possible to establish her citizenship of any state. Talking about her wanderings, Lida quietly wiped away tears and hugged her daughter, who had all the chances to repeat the fate of her mother and be left without documents, education, and a chance for a better life.
Lida signed an agreement with the Charitable Fund “Right to Protection” (R2P) on the provision of Free Legal Aid, and long and painstaking work began.
The fact of Lida’s residence on the territory of Ukraine as of August 24, 1991, was established in court. Later, a package of documents was prepared and submitted to establish Lida’s citizenship of Ukraine. Thanks to the high qualification, diligence, and persistence, and incredible efforts of the staff of the State Migration Service of Ukraine in the Kharkiv region (in particular, to the Ulyanchenko Kateryna Mykolayivna), the information necessary for Lida was formed and the documents were sent.
In the end, Lida received a long-awaited certificate of registration as a citizen of Ukraine, and 2 weeks later – the passport. Now the woman is happy: she finally has the opportunity to work officially, register her place of residence, and most importantly – avoid problems with documents for her daughter in the future.
Currently, employees of the Kupyansk Regional Department of the State Migration Service of Ukraine in Kharkiv Oblast, together with the R2P lawyer are working on the issue of registration of Lida’s seven-year-old daughter as a citizen of Ukraine.
Now Lida’s eyes still have tears, but those are the tears of joy and gratitude. Charitable Fund “Right to Protection” (R2P) wishes success to the family of the new citizen of Ukraine. Just believe – and everything will be fine!
UNHCR Ukraine – United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Ukraine
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