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IOM Member State since 2001
Capital: Kyiv
Population (2010): 45.4 million
Area: 603,700 sq km
Major Language: Ukrainian (official), Russian
Currency: Hryvnya (UAH)
GDP per Capita PPP (2007): USD 6,914
HDI Rank (2007): 85 of 182
Remittances (2008): USD 5,769 million
Net Migration Rate (2005-2010): -0.3 migrants /1,000 population
Immigrants (2010): 11.6%
Women as a Percentage of Immigrants (2010): 57.2%
Population under 15 (2010): 13.9%
Adult HIV Prevalence (2007): 1.6%
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Foreigners in Ukraine (2006): 213,749
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Increased regular and irregular migratory flows towards the new European Union borders have created new management challenges for Ukraine’s already strained system. Movements into Ukraine occur by land, air and by sea, and they include many different nationalities, diverse ages and backgrounds. Migration for economic purposes appears to be the primary motivation, though there is a sizeable percentage of migrants moving away from volatile situations in neighbouring states.
The influx of migrants creates new challenges in the area of interception, reception or detention, care and services, and registration and assisted voluntary return. Moreover, smuggling networks that facilitate many of these movements are growing and require tailored and coordinated law enforcement responses. Government capacities to respond are limited, and even strong efforts backed by genuine political will can hardly keep pace with these growing challenges.
Evidence suggests that Ukraine is one of the countries of origin in Europe for trafficking in human beings for prostitution, labour and domestic servitude for Western Europe, Turkey and Russia. This creates a major migration and human rights challenge for the country.
| Donors |
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Government of Australia |
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Government of Canada |
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Government of New Zealand |
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Government of Sweden |
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Government of Switzerland |
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United States Department of State |
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USA Loan Fund |
Migration Health Assessment Programme. The Migration Health Assessment Programme (MHAP) was established in 1995 to assist refugees and migrants. Since then, IOM has performed over 150,000 migration health assessments for migrants and refugees on behalf of the governments of the United States of America, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. In 2009, IOM Ukraine performed 7,655 physical examinations.
In 2002, MHAP began providing migration health assessments to fulfill the requirements of the Canadian and US immigration authorities.
In addition, MHAP has operated the IOM Counter-Trafficking Programme Medical Rehabilitation Centre for victims of trafficking, providing medical and psycho-social care.
Furthermore, MHAP is working to develop and implement an organizational set-up for the health care system in the Migrant Accommodation Centres, which will address health care access issues for the detained irregular migrants and will allow it to meet operating standards based on international best practices.
The main activities developed under this programme in Ukraine are:
- Migration Health and Travel Assessment;
- Medical Rehabilitation Centre for victims of trafficking; and
- HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis prevention programmes for mobile populations.
| Main Projects |
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Health Assessment in Ukraine |
| Donors |
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Academy of European Law/ Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Luxembourg |
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Danish Red Cross |
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European Union |
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Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Italy |
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Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Norway |
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PACT, Inc. |
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Royal Danish Ministry for Foreign Affairs |
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Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) |
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Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) |
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US Department of State – Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs |
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United States Agency for International Development (USAID) |
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United States Department of State |
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Western Union |
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World Childhood Foundation |
Counter-Trafficking Programme. Ukraine is a country of origin, transit and increasingly of destination for trafficking in men, women and children. Internal trafficking is also a growing problem.
IOM’s Counter-Trafficking Programme in Ukraine, launched in 1998, aims to support government and civil society efforts to combat trafficking in human beings within the four interrelated spheres:
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Prevention and Advocacy. Through a network of over 75 NGOs, IOM coordinates a wide variety of prevention activities, including informational campaigns, public service announcements, telephone help-lines, teachers’ manuals for use in schools, trainings for journalists, etc.
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Criminalization and Prosecution. IOM provides comprehensive capacity building services to the Ukrainian authorities responsible for prosecution of human trafficking, including thematic trainings, networking with countries of transit and destination, capacity building in the sphere of mutual legal assistance, technical assistance, English language training, development of a witness protection system, and others.
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Protection and Reintegration. IOM Kyiv has provided reintegration assistance to over 5,600 victims of trafficking since 2000. The assistance package includes safe return home, retrieval of lost documents, medical and psychological counselling, vocational training, reintegration grants, legal assistance, etc. The IOM Medical Rehabilitation Centre established in 2002 has provided comprehensive medical and psychological assistance to over 1,300 victims of trafficking to date.
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Partnership and Advocacy. IOM works with a growing circle of partners, including the Government of Ukraine, international organizations, civil society, private companies and individuals to address the issue of human trafficking in Ukraine and increase the national input and ownership.
The IOM Medical Rehabilitation Centre established in 2003 to date has provided comprehensive medical and psychological assistance to over 1,500 victims of trafficking. Additionally, IOM partner NGOs have opened seven reintegration shelters for victims of trafficking in the regions.
| Main Projects |
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Counter Trafficking in Persons in Ukraine |
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Combating Trafficking in Human Beings in Ukraine and Moldova (AENEAS) |
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Enhancing National Mechanisms for Reintegration Assistance for Victims of Trafficking in Ukraine |
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Programme against Human Trafficking in Eastern and South Eastern Europe |
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Ukraine: Combating Trafficking in Human Beings “Phase Out” |
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Prevention of Human Trafficking through Social Work and Community Mobilization |
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Strengthening National Mechanisms and Capacities for Elimination of Trafficking in Children in Ukraine |
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Combating Trafficking in Human Beings: Strengthening Prosecution Capabilities in Ukraine |
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Practical Implementation of Provisions of the 2nd Additional Protocol to the European Convention on MLA in Criminal Matters into Ukrainian Law |
| Donors |
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German Federal Office for Migration and Refugees |
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European Union |
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Directorate-General for Development Cooperation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Italy |
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US Department of State – Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs |
Capacity Building in Migration Management Programme. IOM is assisting the Ukrainian Government to develop a comprehensive migration management system by enhancing the Ukrainian government’s capacity to manage migration flows, and by assisting the Ukrainian Government to facilitate successful implementation of the EU-Ukraine Readmission Agreement. Programme activities include the establishment of seven Centres for Migrant Advice (CMAs) that provide reliable, confidential and free-of-charge consultations on migrants’ rights, legal opportunities for migration, complex challenges of irregular migration, advice on detecting and avoiding fraudulent visa and employment schemes, and advice to foreigners temporarily or permanently residing in Ukraine. From September 2005 to June 2009, CMAs assisted a total of 74,963 persons.
Also, IOM has been implementing the Assisted Voluntary Return Programme, aimed at orderly, humane and cost-effective return and reintegration of unsuccessful asylum seekers and other migrants, residing or stranded in Ukraine, who are willing to return voluntarily to their countries of origin. Within this programme in 2009 IOM assisted 343 stranded migrants to return home safely and with dignity.
Improving Integrated Border Management: Follow-up to Reinforcing the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine Human Resources Management (HUREMAS 2). IOM assists the Government of Ukraine in transforming the State Border Guard Service into a civilian law enforcement agency with border management responsibilities through addressing training and equipment needs as well as generating policy recommendations for recruitment and career development reform.
The HUREMAS 2 project was launched in April 2008 to consolidate the gains of the EU- and US-funded project “Reinforcing the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine Human Resources Management – HUREMAS”. A sequel project continues to facilitate the establishment of a modern human resources management system for the State Border Guard Service (SBGS) of Ukraine in line with the best EU practices and standards under five components:
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Legal Reform. The project assists the SBGS in reforming, drafting, and amending relevant legislation to facilitate the Service’s transformation to an EU/Schengen-compatible law enforcement service in conformity with the acquis communautaire.
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Recruitment Reform. The project continues supporting the SBGS in implementing their newly adopted two-stage recruitment system for contracted personnel, which corresponds to the EU standard of recruiting personnel for law enforcement agencies. The project also ensures transparent recruitment of commissioned officers to the SBGS Academy in conformity with EU best practices.
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Training Needs. The project facilitates reforming the SBGS officers' education compatible with EU best practices. This includes the reform of recruitment and education/training for internally recruited officers and cadets, as well as the introduction of a short-term training programme for externally recruited personnel.
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Career Development Reform. The project facilitates the adoption of the "Instructions for Career Development of Ukrainian Citizens in the SBGS," developed within HUREMAS on the basis of EU best practices, as well as the implementation of its provisions into the practices of the SBGS.
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Logistics Support. The project builds the training capacity of the SBGS by providing training equipment and literature to four SBGS training facilities.
| Main Projects |
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Assisted Voluntary Return Programme |
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Improving Integrated Border Management: Follow-up to Reinforcing the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine Human Resources Management |
| Donors |
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European Union |
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Quebec Immigration Office in Vienna |
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Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs of the Czech Republic |
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Ministry of Internal Affairs of Portugal |
Labour Migration Programme. Ukraine continues to be a country of emigration. Unequal distribution of wealth means that the income gap remains the primary incentive for emigration from underdeveloped regions of the country. Migration has also become a life strategy for many productive-age men and women who rely on developed informal networks to seek unregistered employment in central and southern Europe. Strong pull factors, including strong demand for labour in countries of destination, low barriers of entry (low-cost transportation, cheap visas) and the hope for legalization of status (e.g., through regularization), stimulate large-scale labour in construction, agriculture or household care for hundreds of thousands of citizens of Ukraine.
IOM’s Labour Migration activities have progressed from research to concrete projects. In order to facilitate circular labour migration between Ukraine and the EU, IOM, in partnership with Portuguese and Ukrainian authorities, and with assistance from the World Bank is implementing an important pilot initiative “Temporary and Circular Labour Migration between Portugal and Ukraine”.
Research. IOM conducts labour migration research on a continuous basis in Ukraine and the sub-region including: Household Labour Migration Survey: Ukraine (2009); Migration Trends into, through and from Ukraine (2008); Review of the Ukrainian Labour Migration Legislation (2008); Labour Migration Assessment for the WNIS Region (2006 and 2007), and Guide for Labour Migrants (2007).
Awareness raising. To raise awareness of Ukrainian citizens about legal opportunities related to work and residence abroad, IOM Kyiv works with governments in organizing information awareness campaigns on behalf of their programmes.
| Main Projects |
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Quebec immigration Promotion and Recruitment Campaign 2006-2007 |
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Pilot project "Selection of Qualified Foreign Workforce" |
| Donors |
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European Union |
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Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) |
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United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) |
Söderköping Process. The Söderköping Process was launched in May 2001 as a multilateral initiative to respond to the challenges of EU enlargement eastwards and to promote better cooperation on asylum, migration and border management issues between Belarus, Moldova and Ukraine, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania and Slovakia.
The Process focuses on the exchange of experience between seven EU Member States and Belarus, Moldova and Ukraine with the aim to align the asylum- and migration-related policies, legislation, and practices of Belarus, Moldova and Ukraine with international standards. The Process is coordinated by a network of National Coordinators covering 10 countries and a Secretariat which works to facilitate and enhance intergovernmental cooperation, information-sharing and contacts between the EU and Belarus, Moldova and Ukraine. Building on the results achieved by the Process until 2009 and based upon the strong commitment expressed by all participating Governments, the Söderköping Process is currently moving towards a strongly Government-led initiative with the Republic of Hungary becoming the first chair of the Söderköping Process in January 2010.
| Main Project |
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The East-Central European Cross-Border Co-operation Enhancement Process (Soderkoping Process) |
| Donors |
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British Embassy in Ukraine |
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Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) |
Diversity Initiative. Responding to an increase in the number of suspected racially motivated attacks in Ukraine beginning in December 2006, IOM, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Amnesty International and other concerned civil society organizations formed the Diversity Initiative in April 2007 to begin addressing the issue in a coordinated way.
The Diversity Initiative strives to uphold the human dignity and well-being of migrants, refugees and visible minorities in Ukraine. The Diversity Initiative has a continuously growing membership and currently includes over 50 organizations from the international, civil, corporate and government sectors as well as diplomatic missions and interested individuals.
It has become a platform to facilitate information exchange and identify common issues. It also serves as a mechanism for coordination and advocacy. Overall the Diversity Initiative seeks to raise awareness and promote diversity among the general population.
The Diversity Initiative has three main areas of action:
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Government liaison, which seeks to support government activities that encourage intercultural dialogue;
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Legal affairs, which provides analysis of existing legislation in the area of discrimination and bias motivated crimes, and good international legal practices;
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Advocacy, which seeks to engage civil society and the broader population, activities include researches and surveys, public information campaigns, round tables, cultural events, monthly bulletins and debates.
| Main Projects |
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Promoting Cultural Dialogue in Zakarpattya and Lviv Regions in Ukraine |
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Development of a University Education Module on Cultural Awareness |
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Eliminating Racial and Ethnic Discrimination from Ukrainian Police Investigation Documents |
December 2009
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