Forced migrants have to return to the zone of occupation because of the lack of a comprehensive state program – expert

The lack of a comprehensive governmental programme to protect the rights of forced migrants forces many people to return to the occupied territories. This was stated by a lawyer of the free legal office Committee of Voters of Ukraine, the head of Lugansk Natalia human rights group Nataliia Tselovalnichenko during online video conference at OstroV.

"Due to the fact that no special measures are taken by the government, a lot of people have to go back to the occupied territory. It means that some resources are over, it’s not possible to settle down normally or pay for accommodation", - said the expert.

"What should they do? The families go back where there is at least a house", - said Tselovalnichenko.

 She also added that tightening of bureaucratic procedures, on the contrary, instead of adaptation leads to the stigmatization of migrants.

 "Many people say that there in only thing left to be done, the state can oblige them to carry a special badge of forced migrants to stigmatize those people completely" – concluded she.