Bill on Internally Displaced Persons passed into law

On October 20, 2014 the Parliament of Ukraine passed the Bill "On Ensuring the Rights and Freedoms  of Internally Displaced Persons" No. 4490а-1 into law (hereinafter, the Law)⁶.

legal guarantees to temporarily displaced persons, determines the procedure for their obtaining  employment, social services and appropriate assistance.

Basic Provisions of the Law:

• An internally displaced person (hereinafter, the IDP) is a citizen of Ukraine permanently  resident in Ukraine, who was forced or independently left his/her place of residence as a result or  to avoid the negative consequences of an armed conflict, temporary occupation, generalized  violence, massive violations of human rights and extreme natural or man-induced situations.
• The fact of internal displacement shall be confirmed by a certificate of registration of an IDP.  To obtain the latter, an IDP should apply to the structural subdivision of the state administration  for social protettion at the place of permanent residence.
• Students, who have studied to obtain a certain education and qualification level and have had  their registered residence in hostels, are entitled to obtain a certificate of registration as an  IDP upon their de- registration, if they are unwilling to return to the previous place of residence  due to the circumstances stated in the above Law.
• Certificate of registration as an IDP certifies the IDP’s place of residence. If an IDP changes  his/her actual place of residence, he/she should give a notice thereof to the nearest territorial  subdivision of the central executive authority implementing the state policy in the field of  migration (immigration and emigration) of Ukraine 10 within 10 days.
• Unemployed persons who were further registered as IDPs shall be re-registered by the State Employment Service at the person’s actual place of residence in the manner determined by the Cabinet of  Ministers of Ukraine.
• A registered IDP who has quit his/her job (ceased another type of employment), in the absence of  documents confirming the fact of dismissal (cessation of employment), the periods of employment and  pensionable service shall be registered as an unemployed person and obtains unemployment benefits,  social and other services of obligatory state social insurance against unemployment in accordance  with applicable law.
• A registered ID who has not quit his/her job (ceased another type of employment), in case of  inability to continue his/her work (another type of employment) at the former place of residence,  to obtain the status of an unemployed person and thus unemployment benefits and social services  of compulsory state social insurance against unemployment, may terminate the employment relations  by submitting an appropriate written application with confirmation that he/she will send the  application to the employer by propriate written application with confirmation that he/she wil registered mail (with description of the application enclosed).