The five Ukrainian citizens who decided on our Independence Day to cross the English Channel on a homemade boat and asked for asylum in Great Britain are unlikely to get a positive answer from Albion’s immigration authorities, Serhiy BORODENKOV, deputy spokesman for Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told The Day on September 5. He noted that the Ukrainian citizens lack sufficient grounds to be granted either British citizenship or refugee status. Ukraine, Mr. Borodenkov stressed, is not on the lists drawn up by international organizations of states having human rights problems, etc. This was also confirmed by Svitlana NEKRASOVA, spokesperson for the Embassy of Ukraine in Great Britain, who noted that out of over a thousand Ukrainian political asylum-seekers only six have been given the nod.
As to the possibility of granting a certain status to the five Ukrainian citizens, now staying in London, Ms. Nekrasova said our compatriots’ application consideration procedure could drag on not less than four years, if not longer. While the asylum applications are studied, the Ukrainians will remain in Britain. Ms. Nekrasova also confirmed that, although Britain is famous for awarding its citizenship quite often to seekers from various countries, this could hardly apply to Ukraine. Political asylum is usually granted citizens of African countries, and so on.
The Ukrainian Embassy in Great Britain and our Ministry of Foreign Affairs are still waiting for London to officially confirm the Ukrainian citizenship of the five applicants. As Ms. Nekrasova reported, the Embassy of Ukraine sent a note to the British authorities on September 1 but has not yet received an answer. Meanwhile, Mr. Borodenkov reiterated there had been a conversation with British officials earlier, in which they confirmed the five asylum-seekers were Ukrainian nationals. Ukrainian Minister of Foreign Affairs Borys Tarasiuk has also said that they are Ukrainian citizens.
