How are the socio-economic problems of displaced people in the Chernihiv region solved?

On February 6, 2019, a round table “Solving the current problems of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the Chernihiv region” was held in Chernihiv.

The following issues were proposed for discussion:

– pension provision for IDPs and residents of temporarily occupied territories, legislative changes and ways to resolve problematic issues;

– features of documenting internally displaced persons (passporting, registration of place of residence);

– issues of social and humanitarian assistance for IDPs;

– housing issues: the program to support individual housing construction in the village “Vlasnyi Dim”, the program “Affordable Housing”, etc.;

– features of registration of inheritance by internally displaced persons, execution of court decisions by the State Executive Service.

The event was opened by a representative of the Chernihiv Public Committee for the Protection of Human Rights

Nadiya Edieva

, who reminded those present of the constant relevance of ensuring the socio-economic rights of internally displaced persons over the past 5 years. The Chernihiv Public Committee for the Protection of Human Rights has been providing legal support to internally displaced persons in the city and region since 2014. The organization is a partner of the Danish Refugee Council, closely cooperates with international organizations, state authorities, local and national public and charitable organizations.

Ms.

Edieva

said that displaced persons turn to human rights defenders on various issues, not only legal, but also social and humanitarian in nature. Among the current problems faced by internally displaced persons are issues of integration, obtaining housing, registration and termination of social benefits and pensions.

– In recent years, the department has carried out significant work to resolve the problems of IDPs (this category of the population is accepted as a priority), among which the most important are providing housing and work (after all, to tell the truth, these citizens received salaries much higher than those in our region), – reported the director of the Department of Social Protection of the Population of the Chernihiv Regional State Administration

Oleg Rusin

, – regarding the registration of IDPs and the assignment of social benefits, we currently have 8246 people or 5.4 thousand families (including more than 3 thousand pensioners and about 400 people with disabilities), to whom we are trying to renew and pay all the assigned cash benefits (as well as compensate for the payment for renting housing and assist in its acquisition by IDP participants in hostilities) – 3543 IDP families are already using such social assistance.

“The pension fund bodies ensure timely consideration of applications from displaced persons for registration and payment of pensions, for which a citizen only needs to submit an application and an IDP certificate, – noted the representative of the Pension Fund of Ukraine in Chernihiv region

Lyubov Kysla

, – payment of IDP pensions is carried out through JSC “Oschadbank” to payment cards (which also serve as a pension certificate), and pensions for persons with disabilities can also be delivered by Ukrposhta, that is, payment of pensions is ensured in a timely manner.”

The Director of the Chernihiv Local Center for the Provision of Secondary Legal Aid

Volodymyr Bobruyko

noted that Ukrainian legislation provides for free secondary legal aid (SLLA) for IDPs, who often need representation in courts, ask for help in resolving family problems (alimony, divorce), terminating credit agreements, criminal proceedings, etc.

– In 2018, 172 people were documented with an internal passport by the UDMS, and 454 people with international passports, while the problematic issues are compliance with the general rules for document processing and identification of citizens (for which it is worth submitting the maximum available information), the presence of forged documents, confirmation of a photo image, insufficient cooperation with other authorities (in particular, the pension fund), etc., – the head of the centralized document processing department of the UDMS of Ukraine in Chernihiv region, Viktoriya Senyuk, informed those present


, – at the same time, a database of invalid documents of citizens of Ukraine is available to all citizens, where anyone can check their passport.

“Last year, our center worked with 622 families who found themselves in difficult life circumstances, who needed counseling, prevention, social adaptation, representation of interests, legal assistance, etc., – said the representative of the Chernihiv Center for Social Services for Family, Children and Youth

Olga Starovoyt

, – currently the Center is conducting such work, and the problematic issue is that not all heads of ATCs understand the need for social work specialists, and therefore there are none in some communities, and not all IDPs easily adapt and understand rural life, because they lived in the city before.”

Director of the Chernihiv Regional Department of the State Fund for the Promotion of Youth Housing

Anatoliy Yaroshevsky

noted that over the 20 years of their fund’s existence in the country, 38,702 families have received housing (812 families in Chernihiv region), and IDPs (of whom 64 are currently registered) and combatants have a 50% discount on housing, for which in 2018 the Chernihiv region received 2.39 million UAH, but currently these funds are not enough for everyone.

Deputy Director of the Chernihiv Regional Department of the State Fund for the Promotion of Youth Housing

Oleksiy Sklyar

supplemented the director by telling about the conditions for obtaining youth housing, for which it is necessary to be on the housing register for improving housing conditions (have less than 13.65 sq. m of living space) or not to own housing at all, which also applies to IDPs.

Regional Coordinator for Public Relations of the Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human Rights

Alla Lepekha

said that the new Commissioner for Human Rights has chosen the protection of IDPs’ rights as a priority area of ​​activity (after all, she herself arrived from Crimea), for which close cooperation is being conducted with other bodies. Ms. Alla herself offered her house in the village, but none of the IDPs took advantage of this offer.

The event was concluded by a representative of the Children’s Service of the Chernihiv Regional State Administration

Yulia Olyfirenko

, who stated that the network of children’s services is expanding, work with IDP children is being carried out actively and fruitfully, the conditions of raising children are being clarified (families are being visited), and if the whereabouts of the parents cannot be established, the children receive the status of those deprived of parental care (we have 10 of them), another innovation is the possibility of granting children (and those who have already become adults) the status of victims of military actions (174 children have already received it), which currently does not provide for any benefits, but this is possible in the future.

The project “Protecting the rights, reducing risks and strengthening the humanitarian response of IDPs and conflict-affected people in Ukraine” is implemented by the Danish Refugee Council / Danish Mine Action Group in partnership with the Chernihiv Public Committee for the Protection of Human Rights with financial support from the Office of Emergency Assistance (OFDA) of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).