The non-governmental organization “Alliance of Roma in Cherkasy region” supported by the International Renaissance Foundation implements the project “Providing Roma population of Cherkasy oblast with identification documents”, which involves awareness raising activities among Roma people and providing them with legal assistance in the process of Ukrainian passport processing.
Under the project, on November 17, 2010, Petro Burlachenko, head of the “Alliance of Roma in Cherkasy region” and Volodymyr Batchayev, member of the board of the “All-Ukrainian Association of Monitoring of Securing Human Rights by Law Enforcement Agencies”, met with Maryna Ponomarenko, militia colonel and head of the Department of Citizenship, Immigration and Registration of Individuals of Ministry of Internal Affairs Office in Cherkasy Oblast. They discussed ways of cooperation between the public and passport service in regard to solving the issue of providing Roma living in Cherkasy Oblast, who are also one of the most socially vulnerable communities, with passports.
Participants of the meeting expressed their mutual belief that the issue of timely provision of passports to Roma is important for the Roma people and for the internal affairs agencies. After all, absence of passport hinders employment of Roma, receiving medical care. Moreover, it frequently causes conflict situations when dealing with militia.
It was agreed during the meeting that the staff of the Department of Citizenship, Immigration and Registration of Individuals will provide consultative, expert and practical support to NGOs in resolving possible difficulties which can take place in processing documents for obtaining passports by the Roma people.
Information provided by the department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in Cherkasy Oblast
Photo – department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in Cherkasy Oblast
Contact person: Petro Burlachenko, tel: +38 (067) 220-1468, romaikatuna@mail.ru, peterukraina@yahoo.com.
