How are the rights of internally displaced persons respected in the Chernihiv region?

This was discussed on February 15 in Chernihiv during a round table on the topic: “The state of observance of social and humanitarian rights of internally displaced persons in the Chernihiv region”, organized by the Chernihiv Public Committee for the Protection of Human Rights.

Representatives of relevant authorities, social protection institutions, the public and the human rights community of the region took part in the event.

Opening the event,

Nadiya Edieva

said that 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 April 2014. The organization is a partner of the Danish Refugee Council, the International Organization for Migration, and closely cooperates with international organizations, government agencies, local and national public and charitable organizations. Ms. Ediyeva said that IDPs contact the Chernihiv Public Committee for the Protection of Human Rights on various issues, not only legal, but also social and humanitarian in nature.

Yaryna Tur

, spoke about the work of the Chernihiv City Center for Social Services for Families, Children and Youth. The Center provides assistance to various categories of citizens who are in difficult life circumstances, in particular, families of IDPs. These are large families, single parents, elderly people, and people with disabilities. The organization’s employees visit the specified categories of people at their place of residence, provide social and psychological support, humanitarian assistance, and assist in health and medical issues.

Oksana Mudra

, informed the audience that since 2014, support for internally displaced persons has been the main direction in the work of the Chernihiv Regional Organization of the Red Cross Society. Thus, as part of its work, the organization provides citizens with humanitarian assistance in the form of clothing and hygiene products. Certain categories of citizens from among internally displaced persons were provided with material assistance in the form of vouchers with a face value of 1000 UAH. As part of the program, children’s rehabilitation in camps was organized. In total, since 2014, more than 4500 thousand people have received material assistance in the form of hygiene products, clothing, bedding, etc.

Head of the Children’s Service of the Novozavodsk District Council in the city of Chernihiv

Yuriy Nazarenko

, spoke about the duties stipulated by law that are assigned to the service.

In particular, the service identifies internally displaced children and within 7 days establishes their identity, information about relatives, in the absence of documents, applies to the migration service unit for the issuance of a temporary identity card, draws up an application for registration of such children, etc. If parents and relatives are not found, the child is given the status of one deprived of parental care and measures are taken to place him in a family. The service has encountered such a case once so far.

Methodist of the Chernihiv Regional Center for Social Services for Family, Children and Youth

Svitlana Lukashenko

reported that their services also provide social services to internally displaced persons, who in 2017 applied for help 805 times in the region, 129 families were registered as being in difficult life circumstances, legal assistance was provided to 236 families, 14 people were employed, 36 children were rehabilitated, 415 people received humanitarian assistance with the assistance of charitable organizations and thanks to the exchange point.

Regarding housing problems, at the Center for Social and Psychological Assistance in Chernihiv (6, Elevatorna St.), internally displaced persons can live free of charge for up to 3 months, during which negotiations are underway with the heads of local councils regarding the possible purchase of inexpensive rural housing in installments.

– Since 2014, a large number of displaced persons have arrived in the village of Ladynka to the Desna sanatorium, among whom there were many children unaccompanied by their parents, and therefore work was underway to restore documents, register children and pay them assistance, – said the head of the children’s service sector of the Chernihiv RDA

Mykola Babynets

, – among these children, 4 received the status of those deprived of parental care, of which 3 were placed in a family (2 are already studying in universities, and 1 in a technical school), and 1 is studying in an agricultural lyceum with full state support.

The director of the Chernihiv Regional Universal Library named after V.G. Korolenko

Inna Aliferenko

, shared her positive experience of working with internally displaced persons. The project “Information assistance to internally displaced persons – a guarantee of social adaptation” has been implemented for several years on the basis of the V.G. Korolenko library. The project includes computer literacy training, organization of entrepreneurship, various trainings and events for internally displaced persons on employment and housing issues. Several people from the ATO zone were also provided with work at the library. The library is open for exhibitions of artists from among the displaced. The project also implemented a booklet – a roadmap for displaced persons, with contacts of all state and public institutions that provide support to citizens from among the displaced.

Regional Coordinator of the Commissioner of the Verkhovna Rada in Chernihiv Oblast

Alla Lepekha

emphasized that the problems of displaced persons can be divided into state and local. The most acute problems today were and remain the issues of housing and employment. Currently, there is no nationwide program to address this problem, as this is what will contribute to the successful integration and adaptation of citizens in host communities. Also, Alla Hryhorivna said that she also identified these problems during last year’s survey of representatives of state authorities, the public sector and internally displaced persons themselves. The human rights activist concluded that the state must, at the central level, develop and implement a strategy for resolving the problems of IDPs as effectively as possible.

– Last year, relevant amendments were made to the Law of Ukraine on Free Legal Aid for Internally Displaced Persons, according to which these people have the right to assistance from the state in drawing up documents of a procedural nature and representing their interests in courts, – the director of the Chernihiv Local Center for the Provision of Free Secondary Legal Aid

Volodymyr Bobruyko

drew attention, – but many people come for advice or simply to chat about finding housing and work. Work is also underway to inform such citizens about their rights.

Representative of the Chernihiv Public Committee for the Protection of Human Rights

Kateryna Dankova

added that currently, through cooperation with international organizations, grant assistance is being provided to internally displaced persons, within the framework of which 95 grants have already been provided to displaced persons in the Chernihiv region for retraining, running a business, purchasing equipment, etc.

Thus, since 2014, the Chernihiv region has been actively involved in a multifaceted solution to the problems of internally displaced persons and is still working in this direction, but this issue should have greater support at the state level.

The project “Protecting Rights, Reducing Risks and Enhancing Humanitarian Assistance to IDPs and the Conflict-Affected Population in Ukraine” is implemented by the Danish Refugee Council in partnership with the Chernihiv Public Committee for the Protection of Human Rights with financial support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).