The Ministry of Justice of Ukraine has completed the development of a draft law "On Providing Temporary Asylum in Ukraine to Foreigners and Stateless Persons" and will soon submit it for consideration by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine. Adoption of the draft will allow legally defining on the territory of Ukraine the rights of foreigners and stateless persons who have been temporarily forced to leave their country of permanent residence.
According to the Minister of Justice of Ukraine Oleksandr Lavrynovych, the need for legislative protection of such persons is determined by international law norms, in particular the European Convention on the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, and a number of other international declarations to which Ukraine has acceded. To date, the provision of temporary asylum to foreigners is not provided for by domestic laws.
In addition, the draft law proposes to introduce the institution of temporary asylum into the national legislation of Ukraine. In particular, to legally define the humanitarian protection of foreign persons who, in accordance with the law, do not have grounds for acquiring refugee status, but due to temporary circumstances of an extraordinary nature cannot remain on the territory of their country of permanent residence and will apply to the competent authorities of Ukraine with a request to provide temporary asylum.