The introduction of an administrative procedure for registering civil status acts that occurred during the occupation will facilitate the reintegration of the territories after liberation - Mission of the President of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea

The introduction of an administrative procedure for registering civil status acts that occurred during the occupation will facilitate the reintegration of the territories after liberation

23.05.2023

At the end of February 2023, the Cabinet of Ministers registered the draft law “On Amendments to Certain Legislative Acts of Ukraine on Peculiarities of State Registration of Civil Status Acts that Occurred in the Territory of Ukraine Temporarily Occupied by the Russian Federation and Outside of Ukraine” (Reg. No. 9069).

The obligation to develop and implement an administrative procedure at the legislative level is defined in several strategic documents approved by the President of Ukraine and in government plans adopted for their implementation. In particular, this is stipulated in the National Human Rights Strategy and the Strategy for De-occupation and Reintegration of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol.

The facts of birth and death are objective natural processes that continue to occur in the temporarily occupied territories. According to preliminary estimates, only 10.6% of children born in the occupied Crimea have a Ukrainian birth certificate, and 1.8% of deaths in this territory are registered in accordance with the requirements of national legislation.

The draft law establishes an administrative out-of-court procedure for registering births, deaths, marriages, and divorces that occurred in the TOT. The court procedure is reserved for complex and controversial cases. This will reduce the burden on the judicial system and simplify access to Ukrainian documents.

That is why it is important to adopt the draft law now, before the liberation of the territories, as after that it will be necessary to immediately register hundreds of thousands of civil status acts of Ukrainian citizens that took place during the occupation.

In addition, if the draft law is approved, Ukrainians will be able to apply directly to the state civil registration authorities (DRAZS) with documents confirming the facts of birth, death, marriage or divorce in the TOT.

This procedure is in line with the practice of international courts. We urge MPs to support this important draft law for the state and its citizens as soon as possible. Its adoption should become one of the ways to successfully reintegrate the residents of the temporarily occupied Crimea.