Introduction
Staff
Mission & Goal
Activities
    Humanitarian
Prison Service
The Handicapped
Refugees
    Academic
Conference/Workshop
    Socio-education
Computer Literacy &
Internet Center (CLIC)
    Socio-culture
Peace & Non-violence
Participating In
International Activities
Future Plan

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Activities. Humanitarian. Refugees

There are many refugees/asylum seekers from various countries, especially Africa and Asia, in Ukraine. However, our attention is drawn to the African refugees who are scattered all over the various cities in Ukraine. They actually need the most help. While the Ukrainian government is doing its best to help them administratively, it is observed that they need material help and trade opportunities. In Kiev, the capital of Ukraine for instance, there are about 600 refugees/asylum seekers from about 20 African countries torn with various forms of conflicts (local and general) e.g. the Democratic Republic of Congo, Angola, Eritrea, Somalia, Sudan, etc.

The three main categories are:

  1. Asylum seekers
  2. War and economic refugees
  3. Ex-students who are cut off in Ukraine
These African refugees/asylum seekers, some of whom are ‘illegal’ immigrants, are leading a tragic and squalid life. Following are some of the reasons:
  1. The critical economic situation in Ukraine.
  2. The insensitivity of NGOs and other institutions in addressing problems of refugees/asylum seekers.
The majority are without resident permits. This causes burdens of various forms for the government as well as the refugees / asylum seekers. For example, out of 98 Angolans / Zaireans in Kiev at present, 22 are serving various prison terms. Without resident permits, they become regular victims of police harassment. Thus they are unable to move about freely. Besides, about 20 of them suffer from tuberculosis. Although they receive assistance in the form of food and clothes occasionally from some religious organizations, we observe that this is not enough.

Other typical examples of need are those in their fifties, sixties and seventies who are always calling on us and appealing earnestly to us to consider their plights and assist or seek assistance for them in terms of their daily bread and pay-per-night shelter.

Efforts to trace their families back home or relatives abroad have proved futile. Letters and faxes we send with the hope of receiving response have not been answered, some over two years.

Due to the regular appeal for assistance Progress Links receives from refugees / asylum seekers, we conducted investigations. It was observed that most of them:

  1. are ready to return home if they would receive an air ticket and some start-up capital to enable them to start a small-scale trade as soon as they arrive home
  2. would like to trade here if they would receive some funds as initial capital
  3. would like to go to an African country near their home country if they would receive an air ticket and some funds to enable to them start some trade there on arrival (thus those whose home countries are still experiencing conflicts)
  4. are ready to return home if they would receive an air ticket. This category is made up mainly of the cut off, stranded old students who realize that they are wasting their intellectual resources and feel the need to return home to seek employment in their home countries

Unfortunately, the absence of a repatriation policy presently in Ukraine remains a serious problem. Indeed the government does not have money
for it.

It is so urgent, not only to inform the international community about the catastrophic life of African refugees in Ukraine, but also to coordinate all efforts to gather necessary finances for making it possible for them to go back home.