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Ukraine
Quantitative and qualitative data collection in Ukraine will take place in the following research areas. - Research Area with Immigration History: Solomyansky Rayon in Kyiv City
- Research Area with Low emigration: Znamyanska Rayon in Kirovogradska Oblast
- Research Area with specific Human Rights situation : Novovodolaz’ka rayon in Kharkivska Oblast
- Research Area with High Emigration : Zbarazh Rayon in Ternopilska Oblast
On 24th of August 1991 Ukraine gained its independence. The world community positively accepted the results of all-Ukrainian referendum in December 1991. Since then, Ukraine has lived through several political crises: Presidential elections of 1994, adoption of the Constitution in 1996, the ‘Orange Revolution’ of 2004 and the political stalemate from 2008-9. And yet, it has kept its unity and avoided to fall apart. Initially, Ukraine was amongst the most prosperous countries within the ‘Eastern block’ despite relatively poor resources. In the early 1990s, Ukraine was ranked at 45th place on the UN Human Development Index (HDI) and was categorised among the countries with high HDI. In 2009, Ukraine is on rank 85th of the HDI, the second highest amongst the medium human development group (UNDP, 2009). The history of Ukraine is characterized by foreign rulers, i.e. by colonial powers. An almost non-intermittent rule by dominant powers at the time can be observed: first by Lithuania and Poland, parts of today’s Ukraine were ruled by the Ottoman Empire, Germany and the Austro-Hungarian Empire, later Tsarist Russia and subsequently the Soviet Union before its independence in 1991. These conditions also shaped the migration history of the country. Throughout the years, population movements made Ukraine a multi-ethnic and multi-religious population, while domestic turbulences led to high rates of emigration. At the beginning of the twentieth century, rural poverty dramatically increased and undeveloped industries could not absorb the surplus of rural labour. Approximately 10 percent of this population decided to leave the country and went to the United States, to Canada and to a lesser extend to South America. Before World War I, around 470.000 people moved to the United States and about 170.000 to Canada. During the Soviet rule and even more drastically during the Stalin period, hundreds of thousands of people from rural areas were forced to move, ‘dekulakized’ resettled to less populated areas. After the reunification with Soviet Ukraine, 1939-1941, possibly another million people, mainly politically engaged people, religious people, intellectuals as well as workers from rural areas were deported from western Ukraine. During the communist rule, Ukrainian emigrants only moved within the Eastern block, particularly to Russia and the oil producing Soviet Republics in the east, such as Kazakhstan (Düvell, undated). Generally, inter-soviet migration led to population growth in the Ukrainian territory. In the 1960s, migra-tion-induced growth constituted 12 percent of the total population growth in Ukraine. This migration trend continued during the 1970s and 1980s, however, migration flows slowed down slightly. While net-migration in most Soviet republics was negative, migration flows still contributed to population growth by approximately 8 percent. Emigration was dominated by the Ukrainian population and by 1989 close to 7 million Ukrainians, i.e. 15.4 percent of the total population resided outside Ukraine (mostly in other Soviet republics). At the same time, 43.3 percent of the Russian citizens residing in Ukraine were born outside Ukrainian territory. The Perestroika has liberated international migration for Soviet people. Restrictions to leave the country were reduced, for instance for the purpose of family reunification. Notably, members of ethnic minorities (Germans, Greeks, Jews and Poles) who had relatives abroad started to leave the Ukrainian territory be-tween 1987 and 1990. For instance in 1990, permissions to leave for Israel only amounted 68,000. After the Ukrainian struggle for independence from 1991 to 1993, migration flows were dominated by reverse and return migration, Russians and Belarusians moved out of the Ukrainian territory, while Ukrainians, Tatars returned from Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. Most recent numbers of Ukrainians working abroad including persons migrated as guest workers amounts to nearly 4.5 million persons, of whom nearly 1.7 million reside in the EU. Starting in 1991, after Ukraine gained independence, refugees arrived from several countries such as Af-ghanistan, Chechnya as well as further former Soviet republics such as Abkhazia, Uzbekistan, but at an increasing scale also from other parts of the world. In mid-1992, 60.000 victims of the conflict in Moldo-va/Transnistria have been granted asylum in Ukraine. Another 15.000 refugees arrived from the conflict zone of Abkhazia, however only 3.000 were granted asylum status. Some scattered numbers of Chechen refugees arrived in 1994 and 1995. About 1.500 to 2.000 arrived in period of 1995-1997 as a result of the war in Chechnya. Since 1997, about 1.500 citizens of the Russian Federation have applied for asylum in Ukraine, of those most are assumed to be Chechen refugees. Since 1996, the majority of recognized refu-gees originate from Afghanistan (51%), from CIS countries (including Russian Federation, Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaijan, and Tajikistan, 29%), from African countries (e.g. Congo, Sudan, Ethiopia and Angola, 13%). The gendered pattern of migration from Ukraine became obvious in the early 1990s: the majority of men migrate to eastern destinations (i.e. mostly to the Russian Federation), while women predominantly mi-grate to destinations west of Ukraine (i.e. Italy, Spain, Portugal, etc.). Determinants for such a pattern are mostly given by the economic sectors in the destination countries which have a ‘gender preference’. The construction sector in the Russian Federation demands foreign male workers and the tourist and cleaning sector in western/southern EU demands foreign female workers. Research Area with High Emigration : Zbarazh Rayon in Ternopilska Oblast Ternopil oblast is located in the western part of Ukraine near to the border with Poland, Slovak republic, Hungary and Romania. Its territory spreads 195 km from north to south, and 129 km from west to east. Ternopil oblast covers 13.800 square km or 2.3 percent of Ukrainian territory. The fertile black earth and grey soils is the main natural resource. On 1 March 2010, the population of Ternopil oblast was 1.087.800 people (2.3 percent of the total popula-tion). The administrative centre of the oblast is the city of Ternopil with about 230.000 inhabitants. A comparatively high density of population can be found in Ternopil oblast (83 people/km²). The majority the population in Ternopil oblast lives in villages (57.3 percent). Also in Ternopil oblast, a depopulation process can be found, partially due to emigration as well as demographic developments. However, in recent years (between 2000 and 2009) an increasing trend of population growth can be observed. In rural areas, the working age population has constantly decreased (49.7 percent), while the share of children (20.5 percent) decreased and the number of pensioners (29.8 percent) grew. A less dramatic development can be found in Ternopil city. Although a growing trend of nominal average income can be observed, the real average income con-stantly shrunk. The level of average income in Ternopil oblast is the lowest in Ukraine. Between 2001 and 2006, the poverty level has increased in all districts of the Ternopil oblast. The ILO indicates a growing trend of unemployment for the region: 8.7 percent (2007), 8.8 percent (2008) and 11.3 percent (2009) (age 15-70; see Annex 27). In the beginning of 2010 the number of registered unemployed has grown by 8.9 percent to almost 16.000 persons. Corruption and drug addiction is another growing issue also in Ternopil oblast, however the level is below the Ukrainian average. Emigration and labour migration is characteristic for the western regions of Ukraine. Migration flows are traditionally directed towards the neighbouring western countries. The main economic indicators as demonstrated above provide the reasoning for such developments. Brych (2009: 37) stated that “only a half of the people (covered in his survey) were able to cover the expenses on food and everyday prod-ucts”. Every third person felt threatened by unemployment. It is thus hardly surprising that since 1995 the balance of migration in Ternopil oblast is negative: high emigration rates and a shrinking overall popu-lation. Many seasonal workers leave in order to work in Poland, Czech Republic, Russian Federation, UK, Greece, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Germany, USA, Israel, etc. According to the data of Ternopil Regional Employment Centre, 26.200 migrants from rural areas of Ternopil oblast worked abroad in 2006. A survey on labour migration in 2008 pointed to 50.400 labour migrants who were working abroad, but still ‘officially’ live in Ternopil villages. The research area Zbarazh rayon has a population of 59.062. The rayon is composed of one town (Zbarazh), one urban-type settlements and 73 villages. Its administrative centre is Zbarazh town located in the northern-east part of the oblast, not far from Ternopil city (24 km) and a population of 13.000 (13.700 in 2006) On the 1st of January 2010, the number of registered unemployed was 1.050 persons. Among the rayons of the Ternopil oblast and their industrial production, Zbarazh rayon is at the 9th place. There are 54 general education schools, where 6.340 students study and two vocational technical school with 756 students. The number of total medical institutions is 68, including three hospitals with 285 beds and two clinics. The number of employees in the health sector is 775 including 149 people with higher education. The number of registered political parties in rayon is 69. The number of active religious communities their churches is 911. The scale of labour migration from Zbarazh rayon is high, especially in villages, which are characterized by inhabitants that feel cut off from the industrial and business world. Substantial differences exist between rayons and single villages in Ternopil oblasts as regard the selection of destination countries in the Europe. Established social networks between the community in the rayons and villages are often dominated by the pioneers who left the rayon or village first and who are associated with success and prosperity. The preferred destination countries among residents of the Zbarazh rayon are: Italy (41.0 percent), Portugal (16.9 percent), Poland (10.6 percent), Russia (9.8 percent), Spain (5.5 percent). Research Area with low emigration: Znamyanska Rayon in Kirovogradska Oblast Kirovogradska oblast is located in northeastern Ukraine on the boundary of the forest-steppe and the climate is mild continental. The land area is 24.6 thousand sq. km, representing 4.1 percent of the territory of Ukraine. The oblast is rich in natural resources: there are over 340 mineral deposits of which 85 deposits are used: brown coal, non-ore and ore raw materials (iron, nickel), raw material for nuclear energy (uranium). New gold, platinum, diamonds and chrome deposits were discovered in the last decades. On the 1st of March 2010, the population of Kirovogradska oblast was 1.016.500 people (2.2 percent of Ukraine’s population), of which 61.7 percent are urban and 38.3 percent rural residents. During January-February 2010 the population decreased by 1.281 persons (7.8 persons per 1.000 inhabitants), 422 persons (4.1 persons per 1.000 inhabitants) from urban areas and 859 persons (13.6 persons per 1.000 inhabitants) from rural areas. Reasons for this decrease are mainly demographic developments while migration process played a minimal role. The population in rural areas has decreased particularly rapidly. The reasons for this are social and economic living conditions, ill-developed social infrastructure and limited access to medical treatment. There was a rapid fertility decline in Kirovogradska oblast between 1991 and 2001, and economic growth seemed to have a direct positive impact on fertility rates as the period from 2002 to 2009 demonstrates. Deteriorating health conditions of the population in the Kirovogradska oblast resulted in increased mortality rates. Between 1991-2006 the population mortality increased by 18 percent, from 2006 to 2007 it was the top rate in Ukraine. Notably, the group of working age population has the fastest growing mortality rate in Kirovogradska oblast. During 1991-2007 mortality rate of persons aged 20-29 increased by 41 percent, aged 30-39 by 50 percent, aged 40-49 by 30 percent and aged 50-59 by 20 percent. The average nominal wage in Kirovogradska oblast in January-February 2010 amounted to 1.572 UAH, which is twice the minimum wage (744 UAH). The highest salary level can be found in the transport and in the financial sector, where wages are 1.6-1.7 times higher than average wages. The average nominal wage in Kirovogradska oblast increased in 2002-2008. Real wages varied strongly over the period 2002-2009 according to official statistics. The economic crisis led to lowest index figures of this period. The labour force in the Kirovogradska oblast has been rapidly decreasing. In 2000 there were 511.100 persons employed but by 2009, the number shrunk to 480.300 persons. The number of the unemployed though has decreased from the level of 14.9 percent in 2000. On the 1 April 2010, the number of registered unemployed was 16.600 people, which is 7.9 percent lower than on 1 March 2009. Znamyanska rayon is situated in the north of Kirovogradska oblast known for low scale emigration. There are one town, one urban-type settlements and 45 villages in Znamyanska research area. The distance from Znamyanska rayon’s administrative center to Kirovograd is 40 km. During the period of January-April 2010, the population of Znamyanska decreased by 74 persons that was 9 people per 1.000 inhabitants (in January-April 2009: 17.4 persons). This reduction can be explained by the increasing death rate. A positive balance of migration can be observed for the same period, i.e. the number of arrivals in the research area exceeds the number of departures (by 2 persons). In April 2010, registered unemployment in the rayon amounted to 2.75 percent, which is 0.03 percentage points less than the corresponding figure for the oblast. Average monthly nominal salary in Znamensk rayon in January-March 2010 was 1.341 UAH, which is 1.5 times more than the general minimum wage. The level of salaries in Znamyanska is 16.2 percent lower than the average wage of the oblast (1.599 UAH). There are six general education schools with 3.123 pupils and two vocational technical schools with 777 students in Znamyanka. Today, Znamyanka has four medical institutions, 61 political parties and 23 registered religious communities. Research Area with High Immigration: Solomyansky Rayon in Kyiv City Kyiv is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country and on both sides of the Dnieper River which flows north to south through the city towards the Black Sea. It is surrounded by forests and plains Kyiv's climate is continental humid, although it has changed significantly during recent decades due to global climate changes. Since the beginning of the new millennium, its population size has been growing by 15 to 18 thousand persons per year. This rise is not only determined by high employment levels and high salary rates in Kyiv, but also by the high fertility rates among migrant groups. With reference to official statistics, on 1 January 2010 the number of Kyiv population was 2.785.100. One of the most striking effects of the economic crises is the decreasing birth rate from 12.0 (newborn per 1.000 persons) in 1990 to 10.9 in 2010. The death coefficient has been increasing from 8.7 in 1990 to 10.6 per 1.000persons in 2010. Furthermore, the population of young people is declining and the population group of older than working age is increasing. Between 1995 and 2009 the share of children aged 0-14 decreased by 33 percent, while the share of people of retirement age (65 and over) increased by 34 percent. The Gross Regional Product (GRP) in Kyiv is the highest in Ukraine and has dynamically grown in the past few years As of January 2010 the wage level of Kyiv inhabitants was still the highest among all regions of Ukraine. It is 1,6 times higher than the average figure, while the rate of unemployment is the lowest in the country. It is 0.4 percent, which is 4.8 times less than an average rate (1.9 percent). From January 2009 to January 2010 manufacturing declined significantly (non-metal production: 46.4 percent; car-building: 21.1 percent; metallurgy and metal products manufacturing: 15.1 percent; food manufacturing, drinks and tobacco products: 12 percent). Industrial growth could be found in wood industry, chemical products and energy supply. Kyiv is a diverse and multi-ethnic city by which it differentiates itself from most Ukrainian cities. According to the National Census, representatives of over 130 ethnic groups live in the territory of the city. The population in Kyiv is mainly growing due to internal migration processes (91.7 percent), i.e. migration from various regions within Ukraine to Kyiv city and to a much lesser extent due to international immigration processes (8.3 percent). In 2008, research found that only 54 percent of migrants possess the required permission for permanent residence and 46 percent have a temporary work permit. Thus, the immigration situation in the capital continues to be complex and hardly controlled by the authorities, and populations numbers are to be considered estimates. Solomyansky rayon of Kyiv was founded in 2001 (formerly Zaliznycznyj and Zovtnevyj rayons). It is located in the south-western part of city. There are 331 streets and alleys in the district of a length of 215 kilome-ters. With its two railway stations (Kyiv-pasazhyrskij and Kyiv-tovarnyj, i.e. Central and South) and the smaller of the two international airports (Zhuliany) the rayon is considered to be an important gate of the capital of Ukraine. Research Area with specific Human Rights situation : Novovodolaz’ka rayon in Kharkivska Oblast Kharkivska oblast is located in north-east Ukraine. There are two climate zones: the forest in the central, northern and western areas and the plains in the southern and eastern areas. The north and northeast of Kharkivska oblast shares borders with the Belgorodskaya oblast of the Russian Federation. The territory of the region is 31.4 thousands sq. km that accounts for 5.2 percent of the territory of Ukraine. High-yield black soil and favourable climate conditions allow the region to produce commodity grain, the most im-portant industrial crop, as well as to run oleiculture and gardening. The population of Kharkivska oblast, estimated on the 1st January 2010, was 2.769.100 (2.214.100 urban population and 555.000 rural population). In 2009 the population decreased by 13.333 people which is due to demographic changes and migration processes as demonstrated below. In 1995-2010 this decrease was observed across almost all districts of Kharkivska oblast and amounted to 340.900 people. The region is characterized by high population density: 93 persons per sq. km. Kharkivska oblast is one of the economic leading oblasts in Ukraine. After, Kyivska (17.9 percent), Donetska (12.4 percent) and Dnipropetrovska oblasts (11.0 percent), it has the 4th highest GRP. However, demand for high-skilled labour decreased in the past few years in Ukraine, but particularly in Kharkivska oblast. In 2009, the unemployment rates for the working age population increased by 43.3 percent (105.5 thousand persons) and the unemployment rate grew to 8.4 percent. Unemployment remains a major problem among young people. One third of the unemployed population is under the age of 35 and 30.4 percent are rural residents. A large-scale survey addressing the issue of corruption in Ukraine resulted that the two oblasts of Donetska and Kharkivska lead the Ukrainian corruption index. Drug addiction remains one of the harmful social diseases in Ukraine, also in the Kharkivska oblast, which not only became a transit point for drugs, but also a market place for drugs. An increase in juvenile crime is a serious problem for major Ukrainian cities including Kharkiv. In 2009, the number of crime has increased in the city of Kharkiv: 2 murders, 17 robberies, 57 burglaries, 30 crimes related to illegal seizure of vehicles. The Russian Federation is the main destination for emigrants from Kharkivska oblast. These emigrants can easily and legally travel to Russia thanks to a visa-free policy. However, most of these migrants work illegally, i.e. without the required permit. Most of migrants are men who work predominantly in construction, especially in and around Moscow and other industrial centres. In other words most of the migratory movements in and out of Kharkivska oblast is not recorded and therefore not reflected in the official statistics. Novovodolaz’ka is a rayon (administrative unit of an oblast) situated in the west of the Kharkivska Oblast. Nova Vodolaga is the administrative center of the Novovodolaz’ka rayon, 45 km away from Kharkiv. The current population of Nova Vodolaga is 13,000. The administrative center of the rayon is Nova Vodolaga, an urban-type settlement was founded in 1675. The structure Novovodolaz’sk rayon includes 2 townships, 13 rural councils and 56 settlements. Novovodolaz’sk has 21 programs of development of industries, agriculture, medicine, education, culture, sports and social work over the years. Today, Novovodolaz’k rayon provides higher education at the Lipkovatovsk Agricultural College and the Rokitnensk Vocational Technical School; the rayon has 32 schools, 15 preschools, 31 libraries and 30 cultural institutions, including ‘Regional Center of Social Services for Youth’, ‘Children’s Art School’, ‘Vatutinsk Music School’, ‘House of Children and Youth Art’, ‘Children and Youth Sport School’. Likewise, a Central Rayon Hospital was built, 4 district hospitals, 4 ambulant clinics, 27 obstetric units. The rayon’s industry is dominated by 2 large enterprises which are the Novovodolaz’sk dairy and Novose-livs'k Mining and Processing Plant. The agricultural industry consists of 28 agricultural enterprises, 48 farms, a number of small subsistence farms, as well as larger companies such as Agrobiznes-NV, Agroservis, Agrokhimiya. Main products of the rayon are grain, meat and milk.
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