https://www.politico.eu/article/coro...rkers-trapped/
So there's quite alot to say (and argue about) in this. I remember hearing at the beginning of March that travel restrictions would be imposed - one reason why I left - and that people would have to apply to apply to the Foreign Ministry to go to work abroad in future. It was ridiculous in my view. For a start it was exceedingly doubtful that the Foreign Office had the capacity in staff numbers alone to process 2-2.5m foreign travel applications; in effect they would have had to create migration sub department but this was not funded in the budget. Second it seemed exceedingly regressive almost to a Soviet past. One of the good things that came from the EU Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade agreement - at least as far as the man on the Kyiv tram could see - was he that he could go work in Poland or wherever he/she wanted and earn much better money - alot of which they naturally sent home.
So when this virus arrived in late February early March there were some 2m Ukrainians living and working in Poland alone (the languages are different a bit like French is different from Italian but not entirely incomprehensible). So when Poland and the other European countries started 'closing down' naturally many of these Ukrainians had no other option but to go home - a girl I know arrived knocked on door the day we left having come back from Warsawa. Then came this insane neo Soviet Foreign Ministry idea which was then modified to basically impossible stipulations that these people now have to meet to be able to leave; proof of 3 month contracts, accommodation, medical insurance and 'organised transport'.
There are pros and cons vaguely - sure some of them are well qualified and could help at home - I mean maybe some are doctors even, and many will be young who would ideally raise new families at home to fight our horrific demographic problem but for the life of me I cannot any sense in this at time when the Ukrainian economy is taking a hit from the virus 'lock down' and will take time to recover.
Nor frankly are these absurd stipulations of 3 month contracts etc in any way realistic. Most summers when I was at Uni I would buy open return flight to Hellas and if I had not already been invited to an archaeological dig just show and offer to help. If they said no it was no problem - lots of bars or hotels to work in just by asking. I have an Irish friend who now lives in Minsk who just visited by whim and got offered a job while visiting. And it's not as if you want a time fixed contract alot of the time - you want the freedom to move on. I spent a week in Eilat moving painting a mural because some Lady passed by while I was drawing, then I served in a restaurant before I went south in Sinai and taught scuba diving. Not that I even particularly needed the money though it was nice but it was part of the 'experience' and you met new and different people. I met a Christian Egyptian and stated an export/import business with him for those cotton clothes the Egyptians make - colourful scarves etc... Alot of Europeans and Yanks settle in Ukraine for the most part just because they like it - or meet a partner and they start businesses or work but they usually visited on a whim or to teach English. So frankly the absurd formality that the Ukrainian government now requires before letting someone work abroad ("organised transport?" doesn't it count if I organised it?) is just a fundamental misunderstanding of how people are - or worse - a direct attempt to stop them doing what any normal person would. It seems insane when one considers that remittances from those Ukrainians living abroad made up about 12% of the foreign income last year, particularly when there is not likely to be a shortage of the workforce in the wake of virus shutdown.
I can understand that we want those who leave to come back - so does Poland naturally. But the way to deal with that is like Poland has done - get the economy growing and keeping 2+m migrant workers penniless at home is not going to that.
So there's quite alot to say (and argue about) in this. I remember hearing at the beginning of March that travel restrictions would be imposed - one reason why I left - and that people would have to apply to apply to the Foreign Ministry to go to work abroad in future. It was ridiculous in my view. For a start it was exceedingly doubtful that the Foreign Office had the capacity in staff numbers alone to process 2-2.5m foreign travel applications; in effect they would have had to create migration sub department but this was not funded in the budget. Second it seemed exceedingly regressive almost to a Soviet past. One of the good things that came from the EU Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade agreement - at least as far as the man on the Kyiv tram could see - was he that he could go work in Poland or wherever he/she wanted and earn much better money - alot of which they naturally sent home.
So when this virus arrived in late February early March there were some 2m Ukrainians living and working in Poland alone (the languages are different a bit like French is different from Italian but not entirely incomprehensible). So when Poland and the other European countries started 'closing down' naturally many of these Ukrainians had no other option but to go home - a girl I know arrived knocked on door the day we left having come back from Warsawa. Then came this insane neo Soviet Foreign Ministry idea which was then modified to basically impossible stipulations that these people now have to meet to be able to leave; proof of 3 month contracts, accommodation, medical insurance and 'organised transport'.
There are pros and cons vaguely - sure some of them are well qualified and could help at home - I mean maybe some are doctors even, and many will be young who would ideally raise new families at home to fight our horrific demographic problem but for the life of me I cannot any sense in this at time when the Ukrainian economy is taking a hit from the virus 'lock down' and will take time to recover.
Nor frankly are these absurd stipulations of 3 month contracts etc in any way realistic. Most summers when I was at Uni I would buy open return flight to Hellas and if I had not already been invited to an archaeological dig just show and offer to help. If they said no it was no problem - lots of bars or hotels to work in just by asking. I have an Irish friend who now lives in Minsk who just visited by whim and got offered a job while visiting. And it's not as if you want a time fixed contract alot of the time - you want the freedom to move on. I spent a week in Eilat moving painting a mural because some Lady passed by while I was drawing, then I served in a restaurant before I went south in Sinai and taught scuba diving. Not that I even particularly needed the money though it was nice but it was part of the 'experience' and you met new and different people. I met a Christian Egyptian and stated an export/import business with him for those cotton clothes the Egyptians make - colourful scarves etc... Alot of Europeans and Yanks settle in Ukraine for the most part just because they like it - or meet a partner and they start businesses or work but they usually visited on a whim or to teach English. So frankly the absurd formality that the Ukrainian government now requires before letting someone work abroad ("organised transport?" doesn't it count if I organised it?) is just a fundamental misunderstanding of how people are - or worse - a direct attempt to stop them doing what any normal person would. It seems insane when one considers that remittances from those Ukrainians living abroad made up about 12% of the foreign income last year, particularly when there is not likely to be a shortage of the workforce in the wake of virus shutdown.
I can understand that we want those who leave to come back - so does Poland naturally. But the way to deal with that is like Poland has done - get the economy growing and keeping 2+m migrant workers penniless at home is not going to that.
Comment