Protest in Mukachevo open centre for asylum-seekers and refugees

In Transcarpatia two (open) Temporary Accommodation Centres (TACs) are existing: One is located in Mukachevo  (total capacity: 70 persons, 22 rooms), another one in Perechyn (total capacity: 50 persons, 18 rooms). Both centres are housing asylum-seekers and persons, who already received a residence permit based on their asylum application. Single men and women, unaccompanied minors and families are living  there (in Perechyn only families). The centres are run by the state migration service with the support of a local NGO, which is an UNHCR implementing partner.

On the 19th of September, the inhabitants of the Mukachevo centre started to protest by doing a hunger-strike. Their criticism was referring to:

1. Structural defects: In some rooms it is raining in because of holes in the roof.
2. Not enough food and bad quality of the food.
3. Bad health care, for example they are not allowed to call the ambulance.
4. Bad behaviour of some of the employed (for example they call black people “monkeys”).
5. The administration of the camp advised two Sudanese inhabitants not the leave the camp after 10 o-clock and refused to call the police and the ambulance, after the Sudanese had been beaten up by locals in the town.
6. No/low quality (of) language courses for the children.
7. Problems within the program, which should support them to open up small businesses.
8. Pressure to leave the camp without offering an alternative.

In the meantime, the inhabitants of the Mukachevo camp stopped their hunger strike and started talks with UNHCR. BMPU will continue to monitor the situation in Mukachevo and report on the next developments.

Recently published by BMPU: Report on Corruption in the Immigration, Detention and Asylum System of Ukraine

Published 2011 by BMPU: Access to Protection Denied – Refoulement of Refugees and Minors on the Eastern Borders of the EU

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