The government has no intention of forcibly returning the men to Ukraine: Ambassador Vasyl Zvarych
The issue of the forced return of Ukrainian men of draft age from abroad is becoming more and more urgent in the context of the ongoing war. Many citizens of Ukraine, especially men between the ages of 18 and 65, are outside the country, fleeing from hostilities or having temporary protection in various EU states. However, the Ukrainian government does not intend to take coercive measures to return them. This was stated by the Ambassador of Ukraine to the Czech Republic, Vasyl Zvarych, stressing that motivation should be at the level of the personal consciousness of every citizen.
“I want to reassure everyone that we are not talking about forced measures to return Ukrainians, especially those of mobilization age, to their homeland. The motivation here lies in the personal consciousness of every citizen of Ukraine. We believe that all Ukrainians, regardless of their place of residence, have an obligation “The duty to one’s country is to protect the Motherland. Of course, this is the choice of everyone who is abroad for certain reasons.” – emphasized Zvarych in a comment for Radio Svoboda.
He also noted that the task of the state is to create suitable conditions for those who wish to return to their homeland and take part in the defense of the country.
This is an important clarification that dispels fears among Ukrainians abroad, especially among those who have temporary protection in EU countries. The ambassador emphasized that the main motivator for returning should be the personal consciousness and sense of duty of every Ukrainian to his country. Every citizen, regardless of where he is now, has the right to make his own choice — return to Ukraine or stay abroad.
Zvarych emphasized that forced return is not the government’s goal. Instead, the state should create such conditions that those who want to return and defend their country can do so without obstacles. It is important that the state provides the necessary resources and support to those who decide to return, because many citizens left due to the unstable situation and need guarantees of safety and social support.
According to the official data of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Czech Republic, about 253 thousand Ukrainian men live in the country, of which more than 95 thousand are under temporary protection and fall under the age category from 18 to 65 years. Despite the significant number of Ukrainian citizens who received temporary protection, the issue of forced return remains off the agenda, because the state hopes for the voluntary return of those who feel responsible for the protection of their country.
Eurostat statistics show that, in general, about 4.32 million Ukrainian refugees received temporary protection status in the EU. At the same time, the majority of refugees are concentrated in three EU countries — Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic. In particular, Germany accepted the largest number of Ukrainian refugees — 1.34 million people, which is 31.2% of the total number. Poland is in second place with 965,000 refugees (22.4%), and the Czech Republic is in third place with 360,000 people (8.4%).
In general, there are currently 7.5 million refugees outside of Ukraine, the President of Ukraine said during a press conference on August 27.
