"I would like to go home"

The story of the Ukrainian refugee in Latvia

Residents of the warring regions of Ukraine arrive in Latvia on various legal grounds: they receive a residence permit in exchange for investments, move at the same place of residence of one of the spouses. However, none of them still officially received asylum here.

In the Office for Citizenship and Immigration at the end of November, citizens of Ukraine submitted 69 petitions for the provision of refugee status. All of them are under consideration, but with the exception of a couple of cases, no one was refused. The representative of the migration service Laura Liva told Radio Liberty that the requests of people who entered Latvia were rejected long before the conflict and used it as an excuse for legalization. In relation to the rest of the petitioners, the management is in a dual position.

Now the question is that my stay here is legitimate, I do not want to hide, so that I was deported later

Since fighting is carried out in a rather limited territory, Latvia by law does not have the right to accept forced immigrants from Ukraine, as they can look for a temporary refuge in the peaceful regions of the country. However, Latvia with understanding and sympathy treats Ukrainians who suffered in the conflict, assures Laura Liva. The migration service officials monitor the development of events in the warring country, admit that the situation is very complicated, and carefully study the case of each petitioner.

Alexey is from Stakhanov Lugansk region. In September, the Cossacks were seized in the city, who do not obey either Lugansk or Kyiv. But Alexei left for Kyiv in the hope of earnings a couple of months earlier. He sent his family to Crimea to friends. A month ago, desperate to find a job in Kyiv, he came to Riga to relatives and hopes to gain a foothold here.

- Do you apply for refugee status in Latvia?

- I wanted to claim, but now I understand that this is impossible. The country does not want to accept refugees. So they told me: why didn’t you look for refuge in other regions of Ukraine? But in one region, in my homeland, I am considered a "Bandera", and in another region a separatist. So I explained. In Kyiv, in half the ads it is written that from Eastern Ukraine residents are not provided with work or housing. I was not told "no."

- In what circumstances did you leave?

- I left when fighting went in the vicinity of the city. The city is not touched now, thank God. He lived in Kyiv and periodically drove home. When the train was canceled, I drove by bus, drove through Kharkov, and not through Lugansk. In those places in which the war was just beginning, hostilities - these are Slavyansk, Kramatorsk - now the checkpoints of the Ukrainian army are located. And there, in the vicinity of Stakhanov, arthobics are going on now.

“You left because you can't make money there?”

- The fact is that the city is cut off from water supply, interruptions in gas supply, power supply, stores are absolutely empty, bread - and it comes with interruptions. It is impossible to be there.

- For a refugee from the Luhansk region, there is no work in Kyiv?

- Very low -paid. And the housing is expensive, it's not worth it. On average, wages in Kyiv are one and a half thousand hryvnias, it is about 100 euros per month. The apartment is one-room-from 3000 hryvnias, the room is 1 thousand, the hostel is 200 hryvnias of the bed.

I would like to go home. It all depends on what the situation will be there

-Were there any other options except Riga?

- Moscow was. Comrades there. But Riga is more acceptable option. In 1992, I was in Yelgava with my mother, and the children's memories are rainbow. And in Moscow he simply worked, I know what kind of city it is, its specifics.

- Do you live on a tourist visa in Riga?

- According to the guest. The purpose of the arrival is designated as a visit to relatives. They wanted to contact the border crossing point behind the refugee status, but still decided to wait.

- Why?

- Maybe there will be an opportunity to go home if it is stabilized there. And if I get a "refugee", then for a long period of time I will become a disorder.

- As far as I understand, in addition to refugee status, do you have another option for legal stay in the country?

- Yes, there is the so -called "special status", acts until normalizing the situation in the country of origin.

- Did you offer it?

- No, I have not even approached this issue. I try, and at the same time I hope that I will return home at the end of my visa. And I do not much set the goal of getting a residence permit here, as those officials I am addressing. I have a family in my homeland. The visa will end, and I will go to them.

- To the Crimea?

-Yes, to the Crimea, in a different way.

- What are your ideas for the future?

- I would like to go home. It all depends on what the situation will be there. If relatives help, then a labor visa is an option. Make money, look at how to gain a foothold here, again, if nothing decides to at home. And I will ask relatives that the relatives would be called here. Now the question is that my stay here is legitimate, I do not want to hide, so that later I am deported. If it doesn’t work, well, I'm not crazy to beat my head against the wall where they do not wait and hear me. In your state, three people received refugee status over the past year, Syria citizens.

-So you have left, claim to be some status, solve some issues in the course of the case and at the same time constantly expect that everything is normalized in your homeland and you will return?

“These are hopes, but they are unreal for now.” At least judging by what I saw with my own eyes. Comfortable living conditions are far there.

- In your hometown, are you now a representative of hostile power?

- Yes, I'm afraid that this will happen because the conflict is happening, but I am not. In the city I am not the last person, those people who are now in power know me. Where am I? Generally in the West. This issue is not discussed, you have to be there. Everyone suffers and you suffer. For what? Don't know. Who is the Cossack Republic? Don't know. No one brings specifics, and scary from this. The fuss goes, and in which direction? Well, yes, they proclaimed, and then what? Unrecognized by the world. And who are recognized? Where does all social benefits come from at whose expense? World markets are cut off. In the city, a sauce factory worked exclusively for export. Inside the country, drive everything back and forth?

- Working visa is the best solution for you?

- Certainly. Refugee status is needed for those who cannot issue a labor visa to get some social benefits: 250 euros, it seems, is paid for a month and housing. I don't need it yet. I’m with my hands, with my head, I have two higher educations, engineering and economic, a bunch of professions.

- Do you have a business at home?

- There was a furniture manufacturing company, two stores. Now nothing. No, everything is hidden, not touched, but nothing works. And there are really no people. Friends say that you can drive through the whole city in a minibus, and no one will sit in it. The commandant hour has been introduced, but it is unlikely that people are sitting at home. They simply are not in the city. Someone where: who is in Moscow, in other cities of Russia. There is little inside the country. It is impossible to earn in Ukraine, in any other region. And in the western one - all the more, it is poorer than the eastern one thousand times. They are all here in Europe. Portugal, Italy, illegal immigrants familiar in Germany. Aunt from the Ivano-Frankivsk region-in France, in Paris for 20 years by illegal. For 5 years, there was a language barrier, now it has learned the tongue and began to earn 1000 euros, and before that about 350. He looks after the elderly, a nurse.

-And now someone left your Stakhanov acquaintances to Europe?

- Nobody went to Europe except me.

- Why?

- Well, how to go to Europe, tell me? For legal crossing the border, you need to go to the embassy in Kyiv, wait a week, pay 35 euros, regardless of the result, insurance, tickets of 200 euros. This needs a certain capital. And in order to be in Russia, - 50 euros. Come there and say: I am a forced resettler, or refugee. Give the opportunity to pay partially an apartment. This is because friends told me. And food helps. They give some money, benefits.

- Do you consider this option?

- Not yet. But if nothing else happens, then yes. What else to do? This is hopeless.

Alexey waited for the response of the migration service. According to him, officials found a compromise solution: they gave him a long -term Schengen visa. She will last until the end of hostilities in the east of Ukraine.