Parliament passes law on external labor migration

KYIV. Nov 6 (Interfax-Ukraine) – The Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine's parliament, on Thursday passed a draft law on external labor migration at second reading with 304 votes in favor.

The draft law defines the legal and organization basis for state regulation of external labor migration and social protection of labor migrants and members of their families. The law applies to migrants who work under labor contracts, find jobs themselves, provide services for which fees are paid, and carry out other paid operations that are not prohibited by the laws of the receiving state.

Head of the parliamentary committee for social policy Liudmyla Denisova said during the debate that it would also apply to family members of labor migrants.

The law does not apply to Ukrainians who ask for asylum in the receiving country or have obtained asylum, those who study or trained abroad, and diplomats.

The rights and social guarantees of labor migrants and their family members are outlined in the draft law. According to the draft law, the rights of labor migrants, in particular, proper labor conditions, bonuses, recreation and social protection, are regulated by the receiving state and international agreements of Ukraine.

Labor migrants and their family members can take part in the mandatory social insurance system on a voluntary basis, and according to Ukrainian law, their pensions are to be paid in line with laws that establish the conditions of pension payments and international agreements.

The draft law outlines the rights of labor migrants and their family members to education and confirmation of professional training, as well as the right to satisfy their national, cultural, educational, spiritual and language rights. In addition, the draft law contains the organizational and legal basis for carrying out fee-for-service operations in the receiving state.

Earlier, Social Policy Minister of Ukraine Pavlo Rozenko said that the draft law is framework legislation but is intended to define a category of citizens in law – labor migrants.

The law will take effect on January 1, 2016. The adoption of the law is required under the implementation of the Ukraine-EU visa liberalization action plan.