On 29 November 2018 the Chief Consultant of the Department of International Connections of the Mission Valeria Pakhomova took part in the round-table discussion on theme: “Internally Displaced Persons between the Past and the Future: Status and Problems of Integration”. The participants of the meeting were Oleksiy Poznyak, the Head of the Sector of Migration Studies of the Institute of Demography (the National Academy of Science), Oksana Ivankova – Stetsuk, Doctor in Sociology of the Institute of Ukrainian Studies (NAS), an expert Caritas Ukraine, Andrew Nagirnyak, the Caritas vice president as well as the representatives of the Ministry of TOT and IDPs of Ukraine, Ministery of social policy of Ukraine, civic  organization and the press.

During the discussion of the comprehensive study’s results of the status and problems of integration of IDPs were presented. Particularly, the evaluating model of the Family Support Center (the project of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland) was used as the platform for the integration of IDPs and local population in Ukraine. The study was aimed at involving the experts and the public to resolving the issues on integration of IDPs and mobilization of the host communities through solidarization, acceptance and reconciliation.

The problems and real needs of the IDPs were discussed and recommendations for the improvement of the mechanisms for IDPs’ integration into the host community were developed. Valeria Pakhomova highligted the current activity of the Mission, including the establishment of the administrative service centers in the regions close to temporarily occupied Crimea, provision the Crimean residents with the temporarily housing as well as the administrative, transport, medical and educational services available for the residents of TOT in the mainland Ukraine. She noted the need for study to be extended to Kherson and Mykolaiv regions. The Mission within its mandate is ready to provide any assistance to IDPs from the temporarily occupied territory of Ukraine in Crimea.