The Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine's parliament, has passed a bill "On amending certain legislative acts of Ukraine on recognizing a person stateless."
Relevant bill No. 2335 was backed by 331 MPs, according to an UNIAN correspondent.
According to the estimates of international human rights organizations, from 40,000 to 80,000 people have been living in Ukraine without citizenship, as noted by the rapporteur on June 16, 2020.
Therefore, the bill amends the law "On the legal status of foreigners and stateless persons," which establishes that foreigners and stateless persons who are legally living in Ukraine are required to hold a valid passport. In case of loss or exchange of a passport, within three days they must notify in writing the migration authority.
It is also provided that persons who are recognized as stateless persons in the manner prescribed by this bill and who have received a residence permit are considered to be temporarily staying in the territory of Ukraine on legal grounds until they obtain a residence permit or acquire citizenship of Ukraine.
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Information about children shall be submitted by one of their legal guardians.
The decision to refuse recognition as a stateless person is taken if the applicant is a citizen of Ukraine or another state provided that their citizenship has been recognized by the competent authority of that state and the applicant has been proper IDs in accordance with that state's legislation.
Another reason for refusal is if the applicant has committed a war crime or crime against humanity.
A stateless person who permanently or temporarily resides in Ukraine, but has no travel document, may obtain a stateless person's certificate for foreign travel.
