A bill has been registered in the Verkhovna Rada that proposes issuing three-year temporary residence permits in Ukraine to Belarusians who condemn Russian aggression and do not pose a threat to national security, as well as simplifying the process of obtaining citizenship for them. UNN reports this, citing bill No. 15529.
Details
Under bill No. 15529, "On the Specifics of the Legal Status and Integration of Citizens of the Republic of Belarus Residing in Ukraine During Martial Law," registered by Member of Parliament Oleksii Honcharenko, it is proposed to establish that Belarusians who support Ukraine’s territorial integrity, condemn the armed aggression of the russian federation, and were legally residing in Ukraine have the right to obtain an Integration Temporary Residence Permit for a period of 3 years, with the right to extend it.
The document defines the concept of an "Integration Temporary Residence Permit" as an official biometric document that certifies the identity of a citizen of belarus, confirms the legality of their stay in Ukraine, and grants them an expanded set of rights for the purpose of their subsequent economic, linguistic, cultural and civic inclusion (integration) into Ukrainian society, without the need to confirm additional grounds provided for by Ukraine’s general migration legislation.
Such a permit is a document confirming the legality of residence in Ukraine, and it would be issued by the State Migration Service of Ukraine without confirmation of other grounds provided for by general migration legislation (in particular, without the mandatory presence of official employment, education, marriage or family ties).
Holders of an Integration Permit would have the right to:
- employment in Ukraine without obtaining a permit to employ foreigners;
- state registration as an individual entrepreneur (IE) and conducting business;
- opening bank accounts at Ukrainian institutions without additional restrictions;
- access to medical care, social services and education on an equal basis with foreigners who hold a permanent residence permit in Ukraine.
Belarusians who obtain the permit may not be forcibly returned (deported) to belarus or surrendered (extradited) to the Belarusian side.
It is proposed to establish that Belarusians who have continuously and legally resided in Ukraine on the basis of the permit for 3 years have the right to a simplified procedure for acquiring Ukrainian citizenship — without obtaining an immigration permit and without holding a permanent residence permit.
The conditions for admission to Ukrainian citizenship are:
- recognition and observance of the Constitution of Ukraine and the laws of Ukraine;
- successfully passing examinations on the fundamentals of the Constitution of Ukraine, the history of Ukraine and proficiency in the state language;
- having lawful sources of livelihood.
The permit may not be obtained by Belarusians who:
- are or were employees of the KGB of belarus or other special services, or full-time/part-time employees of law enforcement agencies;
- participated in politically motivated persecution, repression or judicial proceedings against the opposition, or held positions as judges or prosecutors in such cases; served in the Armed Forces of belarus after February 24, 2022 (except for persons who voluntarily switched to Ukraine’s side or joined the Armed Forces of Ukraine);
- committed acts that facilitated the armed aggression of the russian federation against Ukraine, or publicly supported such aggression;
- are subject to sanctions imposed by the National Security and Defense Council, or are reasonably suspected of committing war crimes or crimes against humanity.
A mandatory condition for acquiring Ukrainian citizenship is successfully passing a comprehensive security and legality-of-grounds check conducted by the State Migration Service of Ukraine jointly with the Security Service of Ukraine and the National Police of Ukraine.
We remind you
Ukrainians in Moldova will be able to obtain Ukrainian citizenship under a simplified procedure.