Early July Ukrainian World Congress sent an official request to Denys Shmyhal, the Prime Minister of Ukraine, to establish a joint international migration committee as an advisory body under the Cabinet of Ministers chaired by the Vice-Prime Minister of Ukraine.
This proposal is of high importance today as the Ministry of Economic Development, Trade and Agriculture are now responsible for labour migration issues. Previously these issues were under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Social Policy of Ukraine. However, the wide range of current labour migration issues resides within the jurisdiction of other state institutions and organizations.
UWC Task Force on labour migration developed this proposal. Influencing government policies on labour migration in Ukraine is a priority area for the Task Force.
According to the proposal submitted by the UWC Task Force, the major tasks of such advisory body will include:
- Coordinating design and implementation of state policy on global migration of Ukrainians;
- Outlining strategic vision of migration issues within the framework of state development and current global challenges;
- Recommendations on the elaboration of relevant plans and programs, provision of legal instruments expertise;
- Evaluating the migration situation and results of national migration policy implementation, identifying current challenges;
- Regular submission of the corresponding reports and public awareness campaigns.
The proposal suggests that the following issues are considered within the migration policy context:
- Creating favourable conditions for the return of labour migrants;
- Integrating newcomers into Ukrainian society;
- Strengthening economic ties and encouraging foreign investment using Ukrainian diaspora potential;
- Encouraging transparent transfers of funds earned by labour migrants in their respective countries of employment;
- Implementing international employment treaties, social insurance and retirement plans, strategies to avoid double-taxation;
- Fulfilling national cultural, educational and language needs of the Ukrainian nationals abroad, support for educational programs;
- Combating human trafficking and illegal migration;
- Strengthening Ukrainian communities that help advocate for Ukraine’s interests on the global scale.
“The Ukrainian World Congress proposes a mechanism to coordinate state migration policy that will provide reliable support to the Ukrainian labour migrants in these difficult times. Such interdepartmental body will help find effective solutions to the current labour migration challenges that were worsened by the global pandemic”, – stated Paul Grod, UWC President.
