The document summarizes Ukraine's reforms from 2000-2017 relating to visa liberalization with the EU. It outlines Ukraine's transition from free movement with neighbors to strict visa requirements after EU enlargement in 2004-2007. Ukraine then began dialogue with the EU and implemented various reforms through a Visa Liberalization Action Plan to meet EU standards in areas like document security, border management, public order, and external relations. The most challenging reforms involved anti-corruption and anti-discrimination legislation. Monitoring and advocacy efforts helped Ukraine fully implement the VLAP by 2017, leading to visa-free travel for Ukrainian citizens to the Schengen zone. However, new challenges have emerged relating to border control and monitoring reforms in regions of Ukraine.

1. Reforms for Mobility:
EU-Ukraine Visa Liberalization
(2000-2017)

2. By the end of 1990s
Ukraine had free movement
with all its neighbours
BELARUS
RUSSIA
POLAND
SLOVAKIA
HUNGARY
ROMANIA

3. 2004-2007 enlargement of EU and Schengen zone brought back
strict visa requirements for Ukrainian citizens
visiting Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania
Queue near Polish consulate in Lviv, summer 2010

4. Timeline of EU-Ukraine visa dialogue in 2000-2010
SK RO
2000 2003 2004
HU&PL
(Re)introducing visa regime
for Ukraine
2005
S
L
O
V
A
K
I
A
H
U
N
G
A
R
Y
P
O
L
A
N
D
R
O
M
A
N
I
A
2007
First EU-Ukraine
Visa Facilitation
Agreement
2008
2010
Start of
EU-Ukraine
“visa dialogue”
Ukraine
unilaterally
cancels visa
obligations
for citizens
of EU countries
Ukraine receives
Visa Liberalization
Action Plan

5. Visa Liberalization Action Plan (VLAP)VISA FACILITATION
PHASE I: Legislative (2010 - 2014)
Adopting laws and other conceptual and framework
documents
Visa-free regime (2017)
Benefits of free travelling to EU/Schengen countries
Parallel to VLAP
process of facilitation
of visa issuance
Visa Facilitation Agreement
(ratified 2008,
enhanced in 2013):
- simplify the requirements
for documents
- simplify multiple-entry
visa issuance, esp. for
journalists and
businessman
- waiving of the visa fee for
certain categories of
applicants
- legal framework for
external service providers
(visa centers)
PHASE II: Implementation (2014-2015)
Practical implementation of the adopted legislation

6. VLAP
REFORMS
of policies
MOBILITYGOAL
BLOCK I
Document security,
including biometrics
BLOCK II
Border
management,
migration and
asylum
BLOCK III
Public order and
security
BLOCK IV
External relations
and fundamental
rights
-New system of document
security launched
-Highly protected biometric
travel and ID documents
compliant to ICAO standards
-New State Demographic
Register respecting the data
protection standards
-Lost and stolen passports are
reported to Interpol database on
the daily basis
-Ukraine launched special body
to manage migration - State
Migration Service
-New readmission agreements
-Strategy of integrated border
management and strategy of
migration management
-Legislation compliant to Geneva
convention on status of
Refugees and EU standards
adopted to enhance protection
of rights of refugees and
persons granted additional
protection
--Three anticorruption bodies
created:
-National Anti-Corruption Bureau
-National Agency for Prevention
of Corruption
-Specialized Anti-Corruption
Prosecutor's Office
-Cooperation with Eurojust and
Europol (cooperation
agreements ratified in 2017)
-Adoption of legislation on
combatting human trafficking,
countering organized crime and
drug traffic, countering money
laundering and financing of
terrorism
-Changes to procedure of
registration of residence place
adopted
-Antidiscrimination legislation
adopted
-Ratification of relevant
documents of UN and Council
of Europe
-Ukraine obliged to keep
concrete recommendations of
UN, OSCE, Council of Europe
- Council of Europe Convention
on preventing and combating
violence against women and
domestic violence signed but
not ratified

7. Most sensitive reforms:
anticorruption and antidiscrimination
Adoption of anticorruption legislation
faced hard resistance in governing bodies
Three specialized anticorruption bodies
were created only by the end of 2015
due to joint pressure by civil society and EU
Adoption of antidiscrimination amendments to
Labour Code that included protection of rights
of sexual minorities faced strong resistance from
conservative part of governing bodies
Amendments adopted only on November 2015
Activists demand to
adopt laws against
discrimination and
corruption, Kyiv,
10/11/15

8. 2010-2017: Monitoring, Analysis and Advocacy

9. MONITORING ANALYSIS ADVOCACY
- Monitoring of visa
issuance policy of EU
countries consulates (8
waves, 2008-2015)
- Independent monitoring
of fulfillment of the tasks
envisaged by the Visa
Liberalization Action Plan
that evaluated the quality
of “homework” done by
the Government and
Parliament in relation to
the Action Plan (2010,
2011, 2014, 2015)
- Research on issuing
biometric international
passports and ID card
(2015-2016)
- Development of
methodology to calculate
official visa statistics
- Regional gaps analysis of
institutional migration
management capacities
- Contribution to creating
Migration Profile of Ukraine
- Studying of myths about
the EU in EaP countries
- Index of visa liberalization
of Eastern Partnership
countries
- Recommendations to
address the existing gaps in
visa issuance were taken in
consideration
by the European Commission
- Advocacy of reforms
through regular publications
in media, public actions,
meetings and consultations
- Advocacy of granting visa-
free regime to Ukraine in EU,
especially after VLAP was
fully implemented

10. Monitoring of Ukraine’s progress in implementing
VLAP reforms, 2014

11. Index of visa liberalization of EaP countries, 2015

12. Kyiv, 5/7/2013
Action for adopting antidiscrimination
law envisaged by VLAP
Berlin, discussion “Visa Liberalization for Ukraine:
Options and Implications”
Discussion of Ukrainian Migration Policy
in Brussels

13. Suspension mechanism and migration crisis in EU:
alter dimension of visa liberalization dialogue

14. Renewed suspension mechanism
● A significant and sudden* increase in number of citizens who are refused in entry
● An increase in number of citizens illegally residing or over staying on the territory
of the EU member states
● An increase in number of asylum seekers from the country being granted a visa-free
regime
● A cooperation reduction in the sphere of readmission
● An influence on state policy or internal security of the EU member states
● Significant risks for state policy or internal security of the EU member states
* an increase of at least one of the above indicators for over 50% for the period of two
months in comparison with the same period last year or in comparison with the period
of two months before implementation of the visa-free regime

15. Number of Ukrainian citizens refused in entry, detected of illegally residing in EU,
and seeking for asylum, 2011-2016*
Criteria/Year 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016
Entry refusals 16 440 18 655 17 095 16 160 24 485 22 970
Overstaying 11 880 12 555 12 060 16 840 23 850 29 785
Asylum
seekers
940 1095 1 055 14 060 22 040 12 490
*Eurostat annual data for EU-28

18. Most of the Ukrainians, traveling to EU countries and within the Schengen zone, choose
the legal ways of obtaining the relevant residence permits
According to Frontex, a large number of Ukrainian citizens who stay illegally in the EU
are found out during the voluntary return to Ukraine from the EU

19. Start of visa-free regime: expectations and risks
Expectations – visa-free regime will enhance mobility, facilitate people-to-people
contacts between Ukraine and EU, will contribute to economic stability
Russian Propaganda used two main manipulative theses: visa-free regime is not
necessary as no one in Ukraine will be able to use it because of lack of money, and
that it is dangerous as it will lead to total emigration from Ukraine
Assessed risks – possible rise of entry refusals and overstaying due to low level of
awareness of the rules of using visa-free regime

20. First 4 months of visa-free regime
- 295 thousand of Ukrainian citizens crossed borders of EU countries without visa (from June,
11 to October, 19)
- 61 Ukrainian citizens who travelled without visa were refused of entry as of September, 20
- Ukrainians crossed borders of EU countries 7,5 mln times in total (from June, 11 to October,
19)
- Number of “visa-free” overstayers or asylum seekers is currently unknown
- 5,7 mln of biometric passports issued as of October, 19

21. Countering risks through informing

22. Travel responsibly: information campaign
5 topical guides and infographics:
1. How to get biometric passport 2. Proper use of visa-free regime
3. Studying in EU countries 4. Job in EU countries
5. Responsibility for violating EU laws and rules
Translated extracts from Schengen Border Code
Visualized data about means of subsistence required by every country
Street games, lectures and seminars in regions with high level of population’s mobility and
mobile target groups (youth, students, labour migrants)

27. NEW CHALLENGES

28. 1. Ukraine strengthens border control
Ukrainian Council on Security and Defense has adopted decision
to strengthen border control , especially those on border with Russia
that came into force on September, 2
Since January, 1 all foreigners will be obliged to give their fingerprints
when entering to Ukraine for the first time
Citizens of countries of migration risks should also notify Ukraine
through e-mail or e-application system before their voyage
Russia to be included to list of risk countries

29. 2. Monitoring of reforms sustainability in regions
- Issuing biometric passports and IDs
- Migration and asylum policies
- Integrated border management
- Implementing National human rights strategy