Volyn legal aid providers strengthen their capacity to protect the rights of refugees and asylum seekers

On September 24, 2020, a training on the topic “Protection of the rights of asylum seekers, refugees and stateless persons. International and national standards” was held in Lutsk for lawyers and employees of local legal aid centers in Volyn.

The head of programs of the Chernihiv Public Committee for the Protection of Human Rights

Nadiya Edieva

presented the experience of the organization’s many years of activity in the field of protection of asylum seekers and refugees and highlighted the main current challenges in the field of migration in Ukraine today, in particular in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and quarantine restrictions.

The Director of the Regional Center for the Provision of Free Secondary Legal Aid (BVLA) in the Volyn Oblast

Natalia Smolyarchuk

noted that such training events are quite important for local legal aid providers and lawyers, since the protection of the rights and interests of foreigners is a rather new and complex category of cases. One of the three Ukrainian Temporary Residence Points for Foreigners and Stateless Persons Illegally Staying in Ukraine (PTPI) is located in the Volyn Oblast. That is why the issue of legal work with foreigners is extremely relevant for lawyers who cooperate with the state system of BVLA.

Migration law expert, lawyer

Ostap Tymchiy

, familiarized the attendees with the main international and national regulatory documents regulating the rights and freedoms of foreigners and stateless persons in Ukraine, as well as the procedure for determining refugee status, the features of appealing decisions of the migration service, and the practice of the European Court of Human Rights in considering asylum seekers’ cases.

In a separate block, the training participants considered the issues of protecting stateless persons within the framework of the new law of Ukraine “On Amendments to Certain Legislative Acts of Ukraine Regarding Recognition as a Stateless Person” dated June 16, 2020. The lawyers also analyzed a number of practical tasks on real asylum seekers’ cases.

Representatives of the Lutsk Local Center for Free Secondary Legal Aid (LBLA) shared their experience in handling cases of asylum seekers, refugees, and migrants staying at the Volyn Temporary Residence Point for Foreigners (TSPF).

The event was organized by the Chernihiv Public Committee for the Protection of Human Rights with the support of the Press, Education, and Culture Section of the US Embassy in Ukraine.