A group of 12 representatives from Ukraine's Regional Employment Service Centres, NGOs and IOM-backed Centres for Migrant Advice (CMAs) are ending a five-day visit to Portugal, which has become the main destination country for Ukrainian labour migrants in Europe.    

The aim of the visit was to discuss the scale of labour migration between Ukraine and Portugal, to examine key issues of interest to Ukrainian migrants in Portugal, such as integration and migrants' rights and to identify best practices addressing these issues.

"It's important to ensure best practices in EU Member States on key issues such as integration are shared with neighbouring countries," says Monica Goracci, IOM's Chief of Mission in Portugal. "Programmes developed in Portugal to ensure the integration of migrants have been extremely effective and could be replicated in countries such as Ukraine."

In February 2003, Portugal and Ukraine signed a bilateral agreement on the temporary labour migration of Ukrainian nationals to Portugal. The number of Ukrainians currently employed in Portugal stands close to 44,000, making the Ukrainian diaspora the third largest after those of Cape Verde and Brazil.   

Since October 2005, IOM with the support of the Ukrainian government and civil society has provided advice on safe and legal channels for migration to Europe to some 10,000 Ukrainians through a network of five CMAs in Kiev, Lviv, Kharkiv, Ternopil and Odessa.

The Centres, which are funded by the European Union are operated by non-governmental organisations, such as the Regional Initiatives Fund, the Western-Ukrainian Resource Centre, Caritas Kharkiv, Revival of the Nation and the Southern Ukrainian Centre of Young Lawyers, respectively.

The Centres provide information on the current realities and possible dangers that labour migrants can face abroad and the consequences of irregular entry and stay in foreign countries. This includes information on workers' rights overseas, legal methods of migration and the risks of irregular migration and human trafficking.

Ukrainians can also get information via a dedicated website (www.migrantinfo.org.ua) or by calling toll-free hotlines operated by partner NGOs in Kiev, Lviv, Kharkiv Ternopil and Odessa. 

It is estimated that more than 2 million Ukrainians are living abroad and potential migrants are in increasing need of accurate information before making the crucial decision of whether to go abroad for work, study or travel.

For further information, please call:

Monica Goracci
IOM Lisbon
Tel +351 21 324 29 47
E-mail: mgoracci@iom.int

Natalia Krivtsova
IOM Kiev
Tel: + 380 44 568 50 15
E-mail: nkrivtsova@iom.kiev.ua