Ukrainian men with expired passports will not be expelled from Estonia
Kyiv • UNN
Ukrainian men of military age with expired passports who legally reside in Estonia will not be subject to forced repatriation due to the war, and their ability to apply for or extend their residence permit will not be restricted.
The Estonian Ministry of Internal Affairs does not plan to forcibly repatriate Ukrainian men of military age who are legally in the country if their passports are overdue. This was reported by Anneli Viks, an advisor to the Citizenship and Migration Policy Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, ERR reports, UNN writes.
Details
Wicks noted that mobilization is an issue that concerns the state and its citizens.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs does not have a plan for the forced repatriation of Ukrainian citizens legally residing in Estonia who fled because of the war, including Ukrainian citizens who belong to the target group of possible Ukrainian mobilization,
It is noted that as of April 26, 6500 Ukrainian men aged 18-60 had a residence permit in Estonia on the basis of temporary protection.
According to Weeks, if Ukrainian citizens of mobilization age can no longer exchange their expired passports for new ones at the Ukrainian embassy, they will lose the opportunity to travel.
However, the absence of a valid travel document does not limit the possibility of applying for a residence permit or extending it (including on the basis of temporary protection). The current procedure also allows for identification or confirmation of identity based on other evidence. However, a foreigner cannot apply for a visa in the absence of a valid travel document,
As of the end of April, about 31,000 military refugees had a valid residence permit in Estonia on the basis of temporary protection.
