New mobilization law has a major impact on Ukrainian refugees in Friesland. ‘After thirty years of diabetes and its consequences, I cannot be employed’

Sascha*, his wife Irina and their two children have been living in Friesland for more than two years. Sascha, a man in his late thirties, is one of those men who were allowed to leave the country. “When I was 18, I was rejected for military service because I had type 1 diabetes. For me, it has been finding a balance between physical exertion, food and insulin for thirty years. It is also called the ‘white ticket’, but that was at a time when everything was only put on paper, not in computer systems.”

Consequence

“The consequence of the new mobilization law is that if I were to return to Ukraine now, I would be examined again. And I’m afraid that because so many men are needed for the army, I might still be approved. While after thirty years of diabetes and its consequences, I really cannot be employed.”

“We do not have confidence in the government or the inspection bodies that the inspection will be fair,” Irina adds. “If the Ukrainian government had functioned 100 percent properly, it would not have been a problem. But we hear too many stories, know too many examples, also from friends and acquaintances, that things are not always fair. That people with physical problems that prevent them from joining the army are still approved.”

Not all aspects of the law are completely clear to Sascha. It is clear that the new law, which President Zelensky signed earlier this month, will no longer have his right to consular assistance. This means, among other things, that he cannot renew his passport at the embassy. But the consequences go much further than that.

Documents

“If my wife and the children wanted to go home to Kyiv for a week, as a father I would have to sign a declaration of consent. I can no longer get that document,” Sascha indicates. The new law also makes it impossible to obtain a university diploma from the Netherlands. “I was already working on that, it is quite a bureaucratic and slow process. But now I can only get it if I pick it up in person. Without that diploma I cannot work here as an engineer.”

“Last year our son was seriously depressed. I then went to Kyiv with him in the summer. Where he saw his grandparents, his friends. When we came back he was a different child, a happier child. Now that is no longer possible,” says Irina.

Sascha and Irina still have an apartment in Kyiv. “We thought about returning because Kyiv is quite safe now. But we now have serious doubts about that. However, the new law also has consequences for property. We cannot rent or sell the apartment now because it is in my name. And if a new energy contract has to be concluded, I am not allowed to do that.”

Future

“We also don’t know what the next steps are, the next consequences will be in a few months. We are only seeing the first effects of this law,” says Irina. “We never wanted to leave Ukraine. We donate money, we help, we are loyal. Zelensky recently said that people had to make a choice. ‘Are you a refugee or resident of Ukraine?’ This ruling and the consequences of this law are causing a division between people in Ukraine and people who have fled. It splits society. Something you expect the Russians to try to achieve, but now it is caused by the policy of our government.”

*The real names of Sascha and Irina are known to the editors.