Ukrainians deported to Russian Federation may apply for documents to return home

Since November 14, the procedure for issuing documents for the return of Ukrainians deported to Russia, who ended up there without documents, was launched in Ukraine on an experimental basis. Alyona Lunyova, advocacy director at Human Rights Centre ZMINA, made a relevant announcement during a briefing at the Media Center Ukraine – Ukrinform. 

Alyona Lunyova. Photo credit: Media Center Ukraine – Ukrinform

According to Lunyova, since February 24, human rights defenders have been receiving alarming signals about deportation – the transfer of Ukrainian citizens to the territory of Belarus and the Russian Federation. 

“Currently, the numbers speak of the scale. According to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the number of people who find themselves in the territory of the Russian Federation is more than 2.5 million. We do not know the real figure because it is information provided by Russia. We cannot fully trust it but there are no other data,” Lunyova said. 

She noted that it is currently unknown how many of the millions of deported Ukrainians do not have documents certifying their identity and citizenship of Ukraine but such appeals are received. If a person does not have documents, then, according to the expert, he or she is literally being held hostage and cannot leave the territory of the Russian Federation. 

“For a long time, discussions were held on how to help Ukrainian citizens who were deported to the territory of the Russian Federation and to ensure their opportunity to leave Russia: return to Ukraine or go to third countries. Such a solution was found. It is an experimental project approved by the Cabinet of Ministers. It concerns the possibility of issuing a certificate for a person’s return to Ukraine. This has never happened before,” Lunyova said. 

The first way to obtain a relevant certificate is for a relative or a loved one to submit an application to any office of the State Migration Service in the territory of Ukraine and a set of documents. After that, a relative will receive a document and will be able to send it to Russia or hand it over through volunteer organizations, etc. 

The second mechanism was elaborated for the situation if a deported person has no relatives in Ukraine. Then such a person may apply to the Ministry for Reintegration of Temporarily Occupied Territories of Ukraine. The Ministry will address the State Migration Service on behalf of this person and a certificate for the person’s return will be issued. 

Alyona Lunyova also advised Ukrainians to definitely leave Russia because they are under the special attention of the FSB and the authorities so it is dangerous to stay there. 

Watch the briefing at the link.