The Association of Ukrainians in Macedonia is not at all satisfied with how our country takes care of the refugees from Ukraine after the beginning of the conflict at the end of February.
Tamila Velkovska, vice-president of the Association of Ukrainians in the Republic of Macedonia “Lesja Ukrainka”, in a conversation with “Fokus” told what these people are going through and what problems they are dealing with in our country.
Ukrainian citizens residing in Macedonia stay here as tourists, and after 90 days of stay, leave for another country, return to Ukraine or apply for temporary residence for humanitarian reasons. Temporary residence allows the right to live only in the country for one year with the right to extension in case of need. In that case, Ukrainian citizens have neither the right to employment, nor the right to treatment, nor the right to children to be educated.
They also face certain situations when they need medical help, sometimes serious, which they are not able to pay privately, and turn to the Association of Ukrainians, due to lack of the most necessary means of subsistence.
As far as employment is concerned, most citizens were rejected by the Employment Agency after their applications for a permit on the grounds that it has its own staff for such jobs.
