State and Regulation of Problems in the Sphere of the Protection of Labour Rights of Migrants-Citizens of Ukraine were discussed during the Hearings in the Committee on Human Rights, National Minorities and International Relations
08 December 2010, 13:05
Opening the meeting, Oleh Zarubinskii, Chairman of the Committee, declared that the
meeting is conducted to provide the implementation of the Resolution of the
Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine from January 19, 2010 "Ukrainians Abroad: Current
Status And Prospects Of Cooperation." During the hearings the situation of
Ukrainians living abroad, mechanisms of the problems in the sphere solution,
granting of their status and rights, ways of involvement into the public life
of Ukraine and effective implementation of their intellectual, spiritual and
cultural potential in the interests of Ukraine were discussed.
According to the People´s Deputy, external labour migration of Ukrainian is the process covering at least 10% of the population of Ukraine, though real rates of the labour migration abroad are not indicated in the statistic data because of great number of illegal migration.
"Pursuant to the information of the International Organization for Migration, not less than 50% of the Ukrainians working abroad have no regulated legal status that is work illegally; they do not pay taxes, do not pay in the social sphere and pension fund of Ukraine; thus the part of working citizens living in Ukraine are obliged to pay twice forming pension funds for those who work abroad", the Chairman of the Committee stressed.
According to O. Zarubinskiy the most important constituent is the securing of Ukrainians living abroad rights by the countries of their residence, state regulation of migration processes etc.
Chairman of the Committee is
convinced that the specific peculiarity of the Ukrainian labour
migrants is that de-jure they are citizens of Ukraine and de-facto they are
foreign Ukrainians. "While they sty abroad the state shall secure their
legal rights and interests, their needs and support their connection with
motherland", O. Zarubinskyi stated.
Yurii Hnatkevych, Chairman of the Sub-Committee of the Committee on Human Rights, National Minorities and International Relations emphasised that the problem of labour migration has been transformed form the economic to the political. According to him, today it is necessary to develop mutually profitable mechanisms of cooperation of the state with migrants, form conditions for their returning Ukraine.
Today, as it was declared during the hearings, the diplomats are working upon the conclusion of the bilateral agreements with Italy and Georgia regarding the employment, Poland and Portugal regarding the social protection.
As it was announced during the meeting, propositions of the hearings participants would be considered and generalized in the Committee for their further use in the legislative work.