Russians to be expelled from Crimea individually, not collectively

Russians who have illegally entered Crimea since the Russian occupation will be expelled from Ukraine based on individual decisions, not collectively.

Source: Tamila Tasheva, Permanent Representative of the President of Ukraine in Crimea, in an interview with the news outlet Ukrinform

Quote: "All Russian citizens are, in fact, colonisers, because they came to the occupied territory to change its demographic composition. They are accomplices to a crime. And we will expel them if they do not leave before the territory is liberated. International law does not provide for collective expulsion – collective deportation is prohibited. Therefore, individual decisions will be applied to them."

Details: Tasheva emphasised that she was referring to Russians who illegally entered Ukraine after 2014.

She reminded people that all Ukrainians in Crimea who have been victims of Russia's forced passportisation are recognised by Ukraine as Ukrainian citizens under the law.

Quote: "It is very important to note this, because Russian propaganda is spreading outright lies, saying that Crimeans will be expelled from Crimea. Therefore, I am emphasising that only Russian citizens who have violated the conditions of entry have to leave the peninsula."

More details: After leaving the territory of Ukraine, Russians will be able to apply to the Ukrainian migration authorities for residence. Certain categories will be able to obtain residence permits in Ukraine.

For example, this will apply to representatives of the indigenous people who are repatriates. According to Tasheva, these are the thousands of people who started the procedure for obtaining Ukrainian citizenship in 2014 and did not have time to complete it. This may also apply to, for example, lawyers of political prisoners, relatives of illegally imprisoned persons, and a limited category of people who have been helping and supporting Ukraine all along.

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