17:27 06.11.2014

UNHCR and human rights organizations hope for president's signing law on IDPs shortly

3 min read
UNHCR and human rights organizations hope for president's signing law on IDPs shortly

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and human rights organizations hope that Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko will sign the law on ensuring rights and freedoms of internally displaces persons (IDPs) as soon as possible.

For 20 years, there has been no forced displacement of this scale in Europe, as is today in Ukraine; the country is facing this major issue, people are waiting, UNHCR Senior Regional Protection Officer for Ukraine, Moldova and Belarus Noel Calhoun said at a press conference in Interfax-Ukraine on Thursday.

According to her, the number of IDPs in Ukraine totals almost 450,000 people, and everyone of them faces certain problems. A lot of such issues can be solved by the earlier adopted law that was developed with the involvement of UNHCR, relevant experts and professionals.

In turn, expert from the Right to Protection NGO Dmytro Natalukha said that the adopted law wasn't perfect, but even if 10% of it were working, a huge progress would be achieved in solving the issues of IDPs.

"We sincerely hope that the president's signature will appear on the law as soon as possible," he said.

Expert of the Civil Freedoms Center NGO Iryna Mukhina thinks that the law's coming into effect is very important for finding solutions to the refugee's issues.

"It's about 500,000 people. First of all, the law is needed for legal regulation of the status itself, as a set of rights and freedoms for citizens that got into a difficult situation," the expert noted.

According to her, various organizations have positively assessed the document, including the European Commission, the OSCE and UNHCR. "I urge the president not to delay the signing, as we're getting closer to winter, and the law allows attracting international humanitarian aid money that we currently need very much," Mukhina said.

As reported, at an extraordinary plenary meeting on October 20, the Verkhovna Rada adopted the law on ensuring rights and freedoms of internally displaces persons (No. 2290a) with 249 votes.

The law outlines norms for the state registry of IDPs. Every person, who has temporarily moved from the anti-terrorist operation zone or Crimea, will be registered in it. Earlier, the government made a decision on payouts for IDPs, which foresaw UAH 2,400 for a family per a month. A disabled person receives UAH 884 and an able-bodied person – half of this sum. According to the adopted law, these sums will be paid out, only if a refugee has registered in an employment center.

According to Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatseniuk, adoption of the law will allow international organizations to give Ukraine additional financial resources to support IDPs.

AD
AD
AD
AD