‘Ukrainian men will file lawsuits over the cessation of consular services’, – says lawyer

Ukrainian men abroad will massively file lawsuits due to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs decision to restrict their access to consular services without updating their military registration data.

This is forecasted by Kiev lawyer Anna Ishchenko.

In a comment to DW, she described the punitive measures as disproportionately harsh.

“Courts in such cases should determine whether the relevant decisions of the authorities were made soundly, conscientiously, and in accordance with the principle of equality before the law. Moreover, the actions of the authorities should be proportionate – there should be a connection between the consequences for citizens and the goals that this decision aims to achieve,” Ishchenko believes.

Executive Director of the Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union Alexander Pavlichenko agrees with her. He fears that consulates will not assist Ukrainian citizens even in emergency situations. As a result of these restrictions, Ukrainians will seek opportunities to obtain foreign citizenship and challenge the new norms, appealing, in particular, to the European Convention on Human Rights.

Lawyers interviewed by DW doubt that the new norms will compel Ukrainians who do not want to fight to return to their homeland.

“It’s good that I got my passport in Cologne last year, and I don’t need to go to the consulate anymore. I can’t leave my wife alone with three children and go to war,” says Oleg, who legally left Kiev with his family for Germany.

“On the contrary, this further demonstrates that there is no need to return. Because the authorities of the country do a lot to make you uncomfortable, inconvenient, and bad so that you don’t actually return there,” said Bogdan, who left Ukraine illegally.

Bogdan’s passport is valid until 2032, by which time he hopes to obtain another citizenship.

“I am almost 90% sure that Germany will implement a system where we can obtain all the necessary documents here, without taking into account the Ukrainian ones. That is, we will not need to contact Ukraine. And thus, all these issues will be resolved,” the man says.

Earlier, the Verkhovna Rada called the Ministry of Foreign Affairs decision to suspend consular services for men abroad “semi-legal.”

Recall that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine announced that it would resume consular services for men of conscription age abroad on May 18, 2024, after the law on mobilization comes into force “taking into account new requirements arising from the provisions of the law”.