Issues related to the adaptation and integration of refugees and displaced persons were discussed at the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee
Issues related to the adaptation and integration of refugees and forced migrants were discussed at the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee.
A working meeting was held between the representative of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees in Belarus, Erol Arduç, and the leadership of the region, heads of regional services, and the regional organization of the Belarusian Red Cross. During the conversation, bottlenecks in working with refugees and forced migrants were identified, where the assistance of international organizations is required.
Last year alone, more than 500 citizens of Ukraine applied to the regional Red Cross organization for assistance, as informed by its chairperson, Galina Zhelanova. 269 forced migrants received financial support in the amount of 98,588 rubles. They most need assistance with housing issues, specifically in finding housing and paying for it monthly. However, while previously payments were made through the UNHCR office in Belarus via the regional Red Cross organization, they have not been made for the last two years. The situation is further complicated by the fact that the construction of a crisis center under the auspices of the organization, which helped resolve the most acute housing issues for refugees and migrants, has not been completed. In this regard, the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee has appealed to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic with a request for assistance in this matter from interested international organizations, and in particular, from the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees.
Another set of issues is related to the planned medical treatment of forced migrants and refugees, as well as reimbursement for the cost of medications for ongoing treatment. The mechanism for interaction with healthcare institutions and "Pharmacia" in this area was once established and the issue was resolved by the regional Red Cross organization with the support of the UNHCR office in Belarus. It would be desirable to resume this practice for the sake of people who were involuntarily forced to leave their homeland.
Erol Arduch shared plans aimed at cooperation with government bodies and public organizations of the Vitebsk region. In particular, he spoke about the intention to create a unified office that will operate on the "one-stop shop" principle.
- This is a very important issue – joint work with the UNHCR Representation in Belarus, - said Vyacheslav Durnov, Deputy Chairman of the Regional Executive Committee. - We have a well-established and structured interdepartmental system, involving social protection, education, healthcare, migration services, and the Red Cross. We have been working as a cohesive team for a long time, because the first refugees from Ukraine began to arrive here back in 2014. However, despite the well-established mechanism, there are exceptional, individual cases when a person needs, for example, to confirm documents or work experience for a pension. It is difficult to help in such cases because we do not have direct contact with the state structures of Ukraine, and the support of an international organization is important and relevant here.
"Vitbichi"
A working meeting was held between the representative of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees in Belarus, Erol Arduç, and the leadership of the region, heads of regional services, and the regional organization of the Belarusian Red Cross. During the conversation, bottlenecks in working with refugees and forced migrants were identified, where the assistance of international organizations is required.
Last year alone, more than 500 citizens of Ukraine applied to the regional Red Cross organization for assistance, as informed by its chairperson, Galina Zhelanova. 269 forced migrants received financial support in the amount of 98,588 rubles. They most need assistance with housing issues, specifically in finding housing and paying for it monthly. However, while previously payments were made through the UNHCR office in Belarus via the regional Red Cross organization, they have not been made for the last two years. The situation is further complicated by the fact that the construction of a crisis center under the auspices of the organization, which helped resolve the most acute housing issues for refugees and migrants, has not been completed. In this regard, the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee has appealed to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic with a request for assistance in this matter from interested international organizations, and in particular, from the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees.
Another set of issues is related to the planned medical treatment of forced migrants and refugees, as well as reimbursement for the cost of medications for ongoing treatment. The mechanism for interaction with healthcare institutions and "Pharmacia" in this area was once established and the issue was resolved by the regional Red Cross organization with the support of the UNHCR office in Belarus. It would be desirable to resume this practice for the sake of people who were involuntarily forced to leave their homeland.
Erol Arduch shared plans aimed at cooperation with government bodies and public organizations of the Vitebsk region. In particular, he spoke about the intention to create a unified office that will operate on the "one-stop shop" principle.
- This is a very important issue – joint work with the UNHCR Representation in Belarus, - said Vyacheslav Durnov, Deputy Chairman of the Regional Executive Committee. - We have a well-established and structured interdepartmental system, involving social protection, education, healthcare, migration services, and the Red Cross. We have been working as a cohesive team for a long time, because the first refugees from Ukraine began to arrive here back in 2014. However, despite the well-established mechanism, there are exceptional, individual cases when a person needs, for example, to confirm documents or work experience for a pension. It is difficult to help in such cases because we do not have direct contact with the state structures of Ukraine, and the support of an international organization is important and relevant here.
"Vitbichi"