Author
TAC is a place for temporary accommodation of asylum seekers in respect of whom a decision has been made to process documents for preliminary examination, or who have been recognised as a refugee or a person in need of complementary protection. No other types of accommodation, such as hotels, private houses/flats, or emergency shelters, are provided for asylum seekers.
The TAC is managed by a director who is appointed and dismissed by an order of the Head of the SMS, with the approval of the head of the regional state administration.[1] The activities of the TAC are supervised by the structural units of the State Migration Service.[2] The operation of the TAC is funded by the state.
To be placed in TAC, an asylum seeker shall be referred by the territorial body of the SMS. Also, a person has to complete a medical examination.[3] Thus, there is no immediate access to the State habitation upon making an asylum application.
The period of temporary placement in the TAC is up to six months but may be extended unlimitedly for no more than six months each time.[4]
Legislation set forth the list of living conditions which should be provided in TAC. Persons placed in the centre are accommodated separately by gender and, if necessary, by religious beliefs, ethnic origin and other differences. Families of persons accommodated in the centre are accommodated in separate rooms. The centre is equipped with rooms for training with the children of persons placed in the centre, playgrounds and playrooms, a library, common areas equipped with TVs, classrooms with computer equipment, sports grounds, as well as rooms to meet the religious needs of persons placed in the centre. Persons placed in the TAC are provided with food. TAC is also equipped with cooking facilities.[5]
In addition, a healthcare point shall be set up at the centre. In case of illness, the medical staff provide an asylum seeker with the necessary treatment. If necessary, the patient is isolated and an emergency medical team is called to transport the patient to a healthcare facility.
A healthcare facility is provided following the Procedure for Providing Medical Assistance to Foreigners, which means that after the medical assistance an asylum seeker shall compensate the hospital for the treatment provided to him.[6]
TACs are visited by human rights and humanitarian NGOs which provide material assistance, activities and workshops for adults and children, and psychological support.[7] The frequency of the visits depends on NGOs’ programmes and financing.
In 2018-2019, the Ukrainian Red Cross Society systematically visited Zakarpattia TAC, during which 803 migrants were interviewed and provided with services to restore and maintain contact with their families in their countries of origin. 650 migrants, mostly from Vietnam, India, Bangladesh, Mongolia and Sri Lanka took advantage of the opportunity to call their families. In addition, the Red Cross provide inhabitants of the MCC with hygiene items, clothes, and toys for children.[8]
In December 2022, the representatives of the Parliament Commissioner paid a monitoring visit to Zakarpattia TAC and checked the condition of the centre. The Parliament Commissioner provides a description of the centre premises and describes the living arrangements inside. The TAC consists of a complex of buildings and has a fenced-off surrounding area. The TAC is located in a two-storey building, which is divided into zones for separate accommodation for single men, single women and families. Each zone is equipped with a sanitary unit, kitchen and dining room. There are separate rooms for leisure activities, and a computer room equipped with three computers with Internet access for studying and communicating with relatives. Children’s and sports playgrounds are equipped.
The Parliament Commissioner noted the presence of the information regarding COVID-19 in Ukrainian, English and Arabic.
There is a warehouse in a separate room where groceries such as cereals, juices, and canned food are stored and distributed at the request of residents. The refugees living in the TAC are responsible for their meals by self-catering. The kitchen and separate rooms are equipped with refrigerators and gas stoves, and there is sufficient kitchen equipment.
All persons who are accommodated in the TACs have the opportunity to receive primary medical care. The TAC has a medical worker on staff and a family doctor.[9]
Furthermore, on 09 January 2023, the Parliament Commissioner monitored the living conditions in Yahotyn TAC. The report emphasised that TAC provides essential services for residents such as kitchen access, laundry rooms, and internet. Refugees receive initial medical screenings, healthcare, and schooling opportunities for children. The building is equipped with ramps for people with disabilities. Social support is coordinated with NGOs. However, the centre lacks personal hygiene products for residents.[10]
[1] Part VI(1) Regulations on Temporary Accommodation Centres for Refugees.
[2] Part I(6) Regulations on Temporary Accommodation Centres for Refugees.
[3] Part III(4-5) Regulations on Temporary Accommodation Centres for Refugees.
[4] Part III(17) Regulations on Temporary Accommodation Centres for Refugees.
[5] Part III(22, 27-28, 39, 42) Regulations on Temporary Accommodation Centres for Refugees.
[6] Part IV(1) Regulations on Temporary Accommodation Centres for Refugees.
[7] SMS, A Holiday for Children was Arranged at the TAC, 18 June 2021, available in Ukrainian here.
[8] Ukrainian Red Cross Society, Tracing Service Helps Migrants in Transcarpathia, 20 February 2019, available in Ukrainian here.
[9] Parliament Commissioner, Monitoring of the Temporary Accommodation Centre for Refugees in the Transcarpathian region “Latorytsia”, 05 December 2022, available in Ukrainian here.
[10] Parliament Commissioner, Monitoring of the Temporary Accommodation Centre for Refugees in Yahotyn, Kyiv region, 09 January 2023, available in Ukrainian here.