Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine adopted on first reading changes in the law on the rights of internally displaced persons (IDP) significantly expanding their rights. 242 deputies voted for introduction of changes into the law.

The prospects of accepting of this bill were commented for informator.lg.ua by the lawyer of “”Vostok-SOS” Olga Anoshkina.

Authors of the bill are deputies George Lohvinsky (“Narodny Front”), Valeriy Packan, Irina Geraschenko (Peter Poroshenko’s Block”) Alena Shcrum and George Nemirya (“Batkivschyna”).

According to words of Olga Anoshkina, changes in the law from the practical point of view for displaced persons boil down to four important points:

“Till the current moment, such displaced persons, who didn’t have a mark about place of living on occupied territory for some reasons, as usual can’t form status of temporarily displaced person. After the application of changes this people will have such a possibility.

To improve that occupied territory was their place of constant residence, as evidence they will get a right to submit in Department of Labour and Social Protection (DLSP) any other documents, confirming their actually tenure there. For example it can be the work record with the location of the enterprise, where person worked. After this the staff of DLSP will draw the conclusion if there is enough proofs to assign status” — tells lawyer.

The second significant innovation, on which you need to pay the attention, will be the next thing: foreigners and persons without citizenship, lived on the occupied territories or having a right on constant or temporarily staying on a territory of Ukraine will be included in the list of persons, who have a legal rights to get this status, except Ukrainian citizens.

“One more new innovation  — if earlier reference of migrant without mark of State Migration Service of Ukraine considered invalid document, this meant that all migrants needed compulsory to be registered in Migration Service. Now this stamp is not necessary. Actually this means that references become unterming — IDP won’t have the necessity every half a year to submit documents and to issue the reference” — considers Olga Anoshkina.

The last important innovation, written in this bill, is the simplifying of the procedure of dismissal IDP from enterprises, which are located on the uncontrolled territory.

“If earlier you needed to send the application by post on the enterprise, which are generally is located on the uncontrolled territories, where post didn’t work, now such application can be given into employment center at the place of actual residence” — reported lawyer.

Summarizing, our interlocutress noted that after acceptance of this law, in the process of its introduction it’s very important to remember about urgent need of necessity of harmonization of the law and a number of resolutions of Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, which are using now territorial divisions of Department of Labour and Social Protection and State Migration Service of Ukraine to register the migrants. “Without this summarizing, how perfectly norms of the law were registered, the problems with registration will constantly appear on a places” — sure Olga Anoshkina.

Aleksei Chernov for informator.lg.ua.