Ukraine introduces biometric border control with Russia
Russian citizens who wish to enter the territory of Ukraine, with the new year, will be required not only to present a passport, but also to undergo a biometric and document the purpose of the visit. According to the Minister of foreign Affairs Pavel Klimkin, in the future, the Ukrainian authorities are considering the introduction of a visa regime between the two countries.
Advisor to the Minister of internal Affairs of Ukraine Zorian Shkiryak said on his Facebook page that on December 27 in some sections of the Russian-Ukrainian border will be introduced biometric control for the citizens of Russia. Talking about “places of possible illegal border crossing authorities of Ukraine” — the fingerprints it will test mobile systems control.
From 1 January 2018, the biometrics will have to pass all the citizens of the Russian Federation, says Shkiriak.
According to the official Kiev, two days ago, 157 Ukrainian border checkpoints were equipped with special control systems, 126 of them were connected to the databases of Interpol.
In September 2017, the President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko instructed to develop and implement the new rules of crossing of border for foreign citizens, which, according to him, pose a threat to the country. First of all it is affected Russians.
From January 1, Russian citizens will have to apply for the purpose of entry to Ukraine via the website of the Ministry of foreign Affairs of the country. Further, the introduction of visa regime between Ukraine and Russia.
As the day before explained to journalists the assistant to the head of the state border service of Ukraine Oleg Slobodyan, while a biometric will work in a test mode. According to him, in the coming days, the guards will use mobile systems biometrics, which will move from one KPVV (the checkpoint of entry-departure) to another, depending on the load. On new year’s eve on the border between Ukraine and Russia has traditionally strengthened the movement. Stationary systems verification of biometric data should work on 1 January 2018.
Among the main points where you will use the mobile units to the New year, Oleg Slobodyan called Goptovka, Kharkov region and Bachevsk the Sumy area. “Now the final technical preparations. The amount of work that had to be completed within the last four months, is large enough, — said the official. Is not only the arrangement of the KPVV necessary equipment, but also the creation of a system for the transmission of this information. By January 1 we will be 100% ready to launch.”
According to this, on the PPC in the area of ATO (anti-terrorist operation — Ukraine called the conflict in the Donbass) biometrics of Russian citizens will not occur. People will not be able to cross the Ukrainian checkpoint if stopped by the uncontrolled territory.
“On the demarcation line the citizens can pass only on the territory controlled by Ukraine, on the territory that is temporarily beyond our control, — said Slobodyan. — In order to get into PPC in the area of ATO, they need to formally cross the border at the existing points. Of course, they need to pass a biometric test where they will stop off in the Ukraine.”
On the border with Crimea, Ukrainian authorities are also planning to install devices for biometric monitoring. But they will be there to perform, rather a helper function. The fingerprints of people will take it, “if there is doubt that this is really the citizen, a passport whose person he presents,” says assistant head of the state border service of Ukraine.
On the “hot line” of the border “Газете.Ru” he said that the Crimeans with Ukrainian passports can enter Ukraine through local PPC. But if they will present a Russian passport, you will be able to enter only the passport and the passage of biometric control.
Says political analyst Dmitry Melnikov, “on the eve of New year, the Ukrainian government began to fear the infiltration of a new group of Russian activists, which, according to Kiev to destabilize the situation in the country.” “In my opinion, these fears are unfounded: the Pro-Russian movement in Ukraine in the majority either went to Russia, fleeing the repression of the present, or held in jails and waiting for court decisions, — says the source “Газеты.Ru”. Threats to Poroshenko now come from its Western partners which would Fund protest rallies similar to those held in Kiev, the former Governor of the Odessa region Mikhail Saakashvili. But they are in no way connected with the entry of Russia’s unwelcome citizens”.
To official Kiev, there is another danger: by the autumn of next year the country will begin preparations for the presidential elections, recalls Melnikov. “Traditionally, they will take the most active part of the Russian political strategists in the interests of certain groups. But for this kind of people no biometric passports or proof of purpose of visit problem will not be, — said the analyst. Rather, the problems with the passage of biometric control will be of the most ordinary grandparents that will go to children and grandchildren for the holidays and will be forced to stand in the kilometer-long queues at the border”.
Earlier, the Minister of foreign Affairs of Ukraine Pavlo Klimkin has announced the introduction of a visa regime with Russia, if the “no trigger mechanism for biometric control.” However, he did not specify what is meant by the words “does not work”.
Commenting on the statement Klimkin, Deputy Director of the Institute of CIS countries Vladimir Evseev noted that this decision could cost policy career.
“Most likely, the reverse step of Russia will also be the introduction of visas, and millions of citizens of Ukraine, who now live in Russia, earn money, feed their families, may be in a difficult situation, — the expert believes. Many of them will be forced to return, and it will create enormous social tension in Ukraine. So while this is only informational provocations are no visas will not be introduced”.
Evseev noted that the purpose of the statements of Kiev, is only a continuation of pressure on Russia in the interests of those Western groups who now essentially control the various branches of the Ukrainian authorities.