A photo exhibition dedicated to the International Refugee Day was opened in Kharkiv

A photo exhibition dedicated to the International Refugee Day was open...

General Directorate of LCA in Kharkiv region

11.08.2017

A photo exhibition dedicated to the International Refugee Day was opened in Kharkiv

On August 10, 2017, at the Independence Square, the Canadian Embassy in Ukraine, together with UNHCR, was opened a photo exhibition on the integration of refugees from other countries that have found refuge in Ukraine and Canada, as well as the International Refugee Day, which is celebrated every year on the 20th of June.

This year, in recognition of the International Refugee Day in Ukraine, the UN Refugee Agency together with the Embassy of Canada and the affiliated organization of the Charitable Foundation "The Right to Protection" have prepared a photo exhibition that covers the lives of refugees and their experience of integration into the local community in Ukraine and Canada. After the solemn opening on Sofia Square in Kyiv, the photo exhibition is already in Kharkiv.

The opening ceremony of the project photo was an opportunity to discuss the situation with the integration of refugees in Ukraine among invited speakers, namely:

- Vartan Muradian, Head of the UN Refugee Agency's Office in Kharkiv.

- First Secretary, Senior Expert of International Development Projects of the Embassy of Canada in Ukraine Vlad Yonescu.

- Representative of the Charitable Foundation "The Right to Protection" Lyubov Butenko.

- V. o. Head of the Department for Protection and Social Integration Specialists of the Office for the Issues of Foreigners and Stateless Persons of the State Migration Service of Ukraine in the Kharkiv region Natalia Nesmachna.

- Gaga Kiknadze, Chief Specialist in Public Relations and Mass Media of the State Migration Service of Ukraine in the Kharkiv region.

- Director of the Kharkiv Charitable Foundation "World" Rahim Vovk.

In recent years, Ukraine has made significant steps towards bringing the asylum institution to world standards. Since 2011, the new Law "On refugees and persons requiring additional or temporary protection" has been introduced in Ukraine, which introduced, in addition to refugee status, additional and temporary protection, as well as brought to international standards and requirements of the 1951 Convention on the Status of Refugees of the Criterion , Conditions and procedures for granting protection.

The organizers hope that holding a photo exhibition from 10 to 20 August in Kharkiv will draw Kharkiv's attention to the problems of people who have been forced to leave their homes due to armed conflicts around the world and promote tolerant attitude towards refugees.