NATO Official Dismisses Fears of EU Deportation for Ukrainian Men of Fighting Age.

Yegor Cherniev Clarifies Deportation Risks for Draft-Eligible Ukrainian Men

According to Novyny.live: Yegor Cherniev, who leads Ukraine's parliamentary delegation to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, has stated that men eligible for military service cannot be deported from European Union countries simply because of their age or nationality. Hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian men of conscription age currently reside across EU member states, and their legal status is governed by the domestic laws of those countries as well as international regulations.

Cherniev emphasized that no system exists for the mass return of draft-age Ukrainians to Ukraine. He clarified that deportation can only occur for specific reasons, such as criminal offenses.

“There is no mechanism for deporting people just like that. There is a mechanism for deportation based on specific grounds, for example, a criminal offense. Simply being of conscription age and Ukrainian by nationality does not make them eligible for deportation,” Cherniev stated.

EU Deportation Policies and Conditions

It is also worth noting that deportation requires a formal decision from the authorities of the country where the individuals are staying. Meanwhile, EU nations have seen a decline in new migrants and asylum seekers, even as they have tightened their deportation policies, achieving the highest rates in recent years.

This statement underscores the critical need to protect the rights of Ukrainian citizens abroad, especially amid Ukraine's military mobilization efforts. As the war continues and tensions rise, the status of Ukrainian men of fighting age in EU countries has become an increasingly pressing issue. Cherniev stresses the importance of respecting international norms, which could serve as an additional factor shaping relations between Ukraine and European nations.