Is it true that belligerent state can refuse its friends in obtaining asylum? Can Ukraine deport Russian citizens, who defended its independence in arms? Today the State Migration Service takes resolutions about forced return to Motherland of volunteer battalions’ fighters with citizenship of other states. Officials don’t believe foreigners, who are threatened by a prison or a death for support of Ukraine in a war for its territorial integrity.

Informator.lg.ua found out what hampers foreigners, Russians first of all, who want to get Ukrainian citizenship, to get political asylum in Ukraine.

Five million losses

Ukraine lost people, who died in actions or are still missing. Citizens of Ukraine, who chose Russia as their new home (according to the FMS of the RF there are 900 000 such people), are also a part of this sad statistics.

Voluntarily or not people of annexed Crimea and occupied Donbass turned out to be outside Ukraine. According to the Statistic Service of Crimea its population is 1 975 782 people. Half of IDPs to mainland from Crimea were Crimean Tatars. The whole number is 20 000 people. 10 000 residents of Crimea kept their Ukrainian passports and registered in occupation migration services as foreigners.

Situation in Donbass is more difficult. Governor of Donbass region Zhebrivskiy report about 1.7 million people in the so-called “DPR”. There is no true information about population of occupied part of Luhansk region, but volunteers suppose that there are about a million people.

Ukraine lost about 5 million citizens – about 8 per cent of its population. Ukraine also loses people because of natural decline of population, moreover — our country is growing old. The Minister Rozenko reported that we have 13 million working people and 13,5 million pensioners. Of course, statistics doesn’t show real number of people, who went abroad to earn money, but will come back later.

But still, Ukraine is attractive for migration transit. Residents of “third world” countries use our country as a transit point for further illegal migration to Europe. After a start of Putin’s aggression a special group of newcomers appeared in Ukraine – refugees from Russia – small, but still very interesting category of refugees. Those people came to our Motherland because of stronger pressure of Putin’s state machine, they are afraid of persecution and reprisal for political actions and disloyal attitude to Kremlin’s regime.

From Russia with love

Why Ukraine? For the most part of Russian refugees this choice is simple: it is easy to cross the border (only foreign passport is needed and explanation of visit); there is no language of cultural barrier; they support Ukrainian Revolution and fight against Russian aggressor. There were cases when Russians were refused to cross the border because of lack of motivation. When Russians come to Ukraine they can stay for 90 days and address Migration Service for allowance for temporary living and residence permit.

Sometimes people from Russia are looking for political asylum here in Ukraine – as opponents of Putin’s regime they are afraid for their life and freedom. Informator.lg.ua published an interview with one such refugee. But there are cases, when allies of our country got refused by the Migration Service – even ATO veterans!

Come, when you’ll be killed?

Ukraine refuses its allies with two-headed eagle on the passport to stay on its territory. Formally – it’s right, but from moral point of view – Ukraine drives out patriots with passports of other countries, especially it’s immoral towards the ATO fighters. For example, a volunteer-Belorussian Rustam Dok submitted documents on participation in the ATO and an application to give him status of a refugee and was refused. The State Migration Service explained it with “groundless reasons” for obtaining status of a refugee. Veteran of the ATO Rustam Dok is going to sue the SMS, what he wrote on his Facebook page.

Everybody is equal, but some people are more equal than others

There is a group of Russians, who got Ukrainian citizenship without traditional bureaucratic procedure. Mariya Gaydar took a position of deputy Governor of Odessa Mihael Saakashvili and Ukrainian passport was presented to her by the President Poroshenko.

Daughter of Russian reformer and public activist refused Russian citizenship only under a pressure of media. Iliya Bogdanov – ex-officer of the FSS, who went over to the side of Ukraine and fought for a long time within the “Right Sector” admitted, that he obtained Ukrainian citizenship only because of pressure of the media on the SMS.

Nevertheless, other volunteers got resolutions about forced comeback, or deportation, despite the fact that the SSU had no complaints about them. Iliya Chernousov and Sergey Petrovichev had to address the media and public activists to resolve that situation.

Does somebody need people?

Contemporary situation with obtaining Ukrainian citizenship by Russians and Belorussians is the most difficult for all the history of independent Ukraine. Viktor Yushenko simplified the process the most – he allowed everyone, who opposed Putin and Kremlin’s politics, to get Ukrainian passport.

During Yanukovitch’s leadership it became much more difficult for Russians to get a status of refugee.

After the Revolution in Ukraine Migration Service has almost not changed. Some people suppose that it is open discrimination against Russians. But we described a case, when passport was presented personally by the President, and such populism and selectivity in questions of claimants for citizenship harms reputation of Ukrainian authorities and country in general. But still there are cases, when open separatists, whose anti-Ukrainian activity is not a secret, keep Ukrainian citizenship.

Many Ukrainian journalists and public activists wrote about necessity to reform migration legislation and simplify procedure of obtaining Ukrainian passport for people, who acts for the benefit and welfare of Ukraine.

It seems like the Migration Service works according to the principal – “avoid troubles”, including a show in the Administration of Ukrainian President, it also looks like Bankovaya rules the MS as marionettes.

Our country is not friendly to loyal refugees and cannot expect to compensate a loss of 5 million people.

Mykyta Pidgora for the Informator.lg.ua