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Claus Folden, IOM's GUMIRA Project Program Coordinator, gave a talk to trainees on the procedure of Readmission between Ukraine and EU, cited statistics on the quantity of the persons returned during the last 3 years. According to the European expert’s information, the quantity of persons readmitted is almost not increased. 63% of total quantity of persons returned from the EU under the readmission agreement were Ukrainian citizens.

Viktor Valchuk, expert of the NGO Volynsky Perspektyvy (Volyn Perspectives), delivered a lecture on condition of the respect for human rights of migrants and asylum seekers during their apprehension in Ukraine. “Almost none of detained migrants know their rights. The interpreter and copies of a court decision on compulsory expelling is not handed over to the foreigners in the majority of cases, - he emphasized. Only after being placed in Migrant Accommodation Center (MAC), migrants can get know necessary information and receive legal assistance”.

Oleksandr Demchenko, judge of the Appeallate Court of Chernihiv Region, gave a report on the problem of torture and ill-treatment in the context of counteracting illegal migration. He emphasized that confirmed facts of torture of migrants are single but it is most likely explained that foreigners do not know language and their rights and are intimidated by the human traffickers.

A visit to the “Zhuravychy” Migrant Accommodation Center in Volyn Region was a separate event. Participants got acquainted with condition and everyday life of detainees and held training for MAC’s personnel. As one of the experts, director of “Rozsudiv” MAC Evhen Saluyan mentioned that both now working Ukrainian MACs have similar problems. Lack of state financing, interpreters, funds for compulsory return to the native country are the main problems which administrations of Chernihiv and Volyn MACs are facing with.

All participants of the seminars took an active part in discussing the raised issues and emphasized an importance of the further dialogue as well as cooperation in activity with migrants and asylum seekers.

This project is implemented by the Chernihiv Public Committee of Human Rights Protection with the financial support of the Open Society Institute (http://www.osi.hu).