The National Commission on Ukrainians Abroad under the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine (hereinafter the Commission) was established in accordance with Article 2 of the Law of Ukraine “On Ukrainians Abroad”. Its activities are regulated by the Law of Ukraine “On Ukrainians Abroad” , Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine No. 1024 dated August 10, 2004, Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine No. 1531 dated November 17, 2004.
The composition of the Commission is formed according to the position principle. Currently, the Commission is headed by Deputy Minister Vasyl Myronovych Bodnar. In addition to representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, it includes representatives of the Administration of the President of Ukraine, the Secretariat of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, the Ministry of Finance of Ukraine, the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine, the State Migration Service of Ukraine, the State Border Service of Ukraine, the State Committee for Television and Radio Broadcasting of Ukraine , the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, the Ukrainian World Coordinating Council, the “Ukraine-world” Society, as well as people’s deputies of Ukraine (with consent).
In terms of its function, the identity card of a Ukrainian abroad resembles a card of a Pole. But during the entire period of existence of the law “On Ukrainians Abroad”, only 10,322 foreigners received such status, when only according to official data, the Ukrainian diaspora numbers about 4-5 million. At the same time, during 2008-2017, more than 100,000 Ukrainians and 120,000 Belarusians received a Polish card.
A possible reason for such weak demand for this document is its lack of awareness. Because most of the employees who work with documents have never heard about it.
Another reason may be the main advantage of this document. This is a visa-free crossing of the state border. Because when a person lives in a country for which the visa regime is valid, it makes sense to obtain this status. But most of the countries whose citizens most often cross the Ukrainian border are EU countries, Moldova, and Belarus. Therefore, the point of making this document for them from the point of view of obtaining a visa is doubtful.
As Kateryna Kulchytska, an analyst of the “Europe Without Barriers” organization, comments, our society is currently faced with quite serious labor migration, which only continues to grow. In such conditions, it is necessary to think about who will work in Ukraine and develop it. According to Kulchytska, it should be profitable for the state to attract Ukrainians from abroad, those who feel they are Ukrainians. Rather than just foreigners who will continue to live in their community, just go to work. “Because when it comes to Ukrainians abroad, we need to think not only about the fact that these people can come as hired workers. They can bring investments, open a business, an enterprise, improve our demographic situation. These people are very necessary for Ukraine,” the analyst notes.
Thus, it can be concluded that the low demand for the identity card of a foreign Ukrainian is not only due to lack of awareness. Probably, the main reason is that the law that promises holders of the certificate does not work. According to “Europe Without Barriers” analysts, Ukrainian authorities need to more actively pursue a policy of informing about the possibility of becoming a “Ukrainian abroad”. Moreover, perhaps this status itself needs to be reformed in the direction of expanding the opportunities that its owners receive.