Citizens of Ukraine forced to leave the country due to extraordinary circumstances (martial law, repression, hunger, epidemics), excluding the possibility of a legitimate change of citizenship, can settle in the territory of the Russian Federation in the status of refugees. People's rescue of their own lives and its legitimization on the territory of a neighboring state make it necessary for Ukrainians to obtain temporary asylum in Russia, coupled with the preparation of the relevant documents.
What is refugee and temporary asylum status
Under "refugee" in the everyday sense of the word, one should understand the spontaneous and unplanned abandonment by people of their country of residence under the influence of privately insurmountable factors (social and natural disasters, epidemics) or a strong individual illness.
There is a narrower understanding of this term, used to define persons who have been personally persecuted by government agencies and forced to move to another country.
“Temporary asylum” is a method of registering for a limited period of his position within the country chosen for resettlement by a person applying for refugee status or undergoing treatment or quarantine.
Grounds for obtaining: benefits for citizens of Ukraine
In connection with a sharp deterioration in the socio-political situation in Ukraine in 2014, a preferential regime for obtaining the status of temporary residence in the Russian Federation was announced for residents of this country. Its essence was to reduce the period of verification of documents submitted together with the application from 3 months to 3 days. However, the flared up interethnic conflict led to the abolition of this regime in January 2015.
At the moment (beginning of 2019), Ukrainian refugees formalize their status in Russia on general conditions (they will be discussed below) and on the following grounds:
- Having a passport;
- Contacting the migration service of the Russian Federation within 90 days from the moment of crossing the Russian-Ukrainian border. (After this period expires, immigrants will be forced to leave Russia on their own for the same period. Persons who violate this rule will lose the opportunity to enter Russia for 3 years under any pretext. Failure to comply with the last prohibition will be considered by a criminal court);
- The absence in the documents of notes on residence in the territory of any Russian region;
- Compliance with the basic rules of stay in a foreign country.
The procedure for obtaining temporary asylum in a simplified manner for Ukrainians
The points described below are valid on the territory of all regions of Russia with the exception of Moscow and the Moscow region, within which only persons of Ukrainian origin who previously lived there receive temporary asylum.
Where to go
A temporary asylum certificate is issued by the applicant at the nearest branch of the Federal Migration Service of Russia.
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What documents to collect
Before applying for a VU, the applicant should:
- Take your fingerprints at the local office of the Ministry of Internal Affairs;
- Pass a full medical commission in order to identify possible infectious diseases transmitted by airborne droplets and sexually transmitted infections, and certain psychopathologies. If the applicant left Ukraine with his family members, the latter also undergo a medical examination.
The applicant for a higher education institution must have documents confirming his family status and birth certificates of minor children (if any), as well as notarized translations of both into Russian.
Having received a fingerprint certificate and medical certificates confirming the absence of the above diseases, and having added to them a passport and 4 black and white (sometimes color is required) photographs 4.5 cm high and 3.5 cm wide, the applicant can go to apply for a temporary asylum.
Each adult member of his family must give him four of his own photographs (with the same parameters), and each minor - two.
Waiting times and cost
The received application is considered within 3 months. For this period, a person is issued a certificate confirming the legality of his stay within the Russian Federation. After the issuance of a ready-made certificate of higher education, the applicant is deprived of the passport of Ukraine, which goes to the FMS archives for the period of stay of the person granted asylum within the borders of the Russian Federation.
Direct registration of temporary asylum is free of charge. However, the process of collecting the necessary documentation is associated with certain costs:
- Creation of notary-certified translations of marital status documents and certificates of young children will cost 500 rubles each... for translation and 100 rubles each for assurance;
- The minimum amount for one photo is 50 p., and for photocopying (which may also be required) - 5 rubles / page;
- One person's medical clearance will cost about 5000 p.
What does the received certificate look like and how long is it valid
The ID is in the form of a paperback pocket book and looks like this:
The validity period is 1 year. Annual renewal is possible.
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Renewal rules
The VU status can be renewed many times, adding 1 year each time. This procedure is carried out at the place of issue of the original document one month before the expiration of the original period.
A person is required to provide a passport and a certificate of VU, as well as set out in free writing the reasons for extending their current status. The application is satisfied or rejected during the acceptance of the applicant without charging him / her payment.
Refusal by the FMS is possible if the named reasons seem frivolous or far-fetched to the employee of the department. It may also be denied to extend the status of the VU for reasons similar to the case with the complete cancellation of the document.
Rights and obligations of an asylum seeker
Ukrainians living in Russia in this position have the following basic rights:
- Find employment legally (and count on assistance from employment companies);
- Receive education on an equal basis with Russian citizens;
- Use free medical care (if you have a medical insurance policy).
More specific opportunities, for example, the services of a free translator or increased compensation for poor-quality baggage transportation, are received by those who can prove their special need for such privileges.
The indispensable duties of the owner of the certificate of the VU include:
- Registration with the Federal Migration Service;
- Notification within seven days of the FMS authorities about a change in their own name and / or surname, as well as family status;
- Removal from the register at the local branch of the migration service when you change your place of residence or obtain citizenship of another country.
What to do after receiving temporary asylum. Is material assistance provided
After registering his stay in the country (or better immediately after crossing the interstate border), a person must find a place to live as soon as possible. A rented apartment or hotel room is the best option.
The purchase of residential premises is not recommended, because the position of a person with a VU is extremely unreliable, and at the slightest misdemeanor, he can be expelled from the country for a long time without retaining ownership of his personal real estate.
If you remain homeless, then there is a risk of being prosecuted under the law prohibiting vagrancy in Russia.
The next step will be to find a legal job that will bring you a stable and sufficient income. Material support in the amount of 100-300 rubles a one-time daily payment to an adult (up to 450 p. to kid) produced by local social welfare authorities is unable to satisfy even the smallest human needs.
Further expansion of rights and freedoms is possible upon obtaining refugee status or full citizenship.
Loss of temporary asylum (cancellation) and voluntary renunciation of status: causes and consequences
The termination of the described contract occurs at the time of the voluntary or involuntary commission of any of the following actions by a person:
- Leaving the country where the refugee has sheltered;
- Obtaining citizenship of any (including this) state;
- Committing a crime or wrongful misconduct.
The disappearance of the reasons for emigration (the end of personal persecution, the end of the war, the taking of epidemic diseases under state control) also annuls the contract.
A terminated agreement may subsequently be reinstated under standard terms.
The help of the Russian state to Ukrainians who are in a difficult situation and forced to flee their country is not disinterested. By registering refugees on the territory of Russia, the FMS fills the Russian labor market with cheap labor, and also increases the contingent of consumption of services and goods of national production.
The financial assistance provided by the social protection authorities is ridiculously small or, as some of those who applied for it, are absent altogether.
Nevertheless, temporary asylum in the Russian Federation for Ukrainian citizens gives them starting social guarantees and in many cases prevents these people from sliding down the social ladder.
