Regarding refugees, the State Migration Service (SMS) reviewed its data on recognized refugees to ensure refugee statistics no longer included people who naturalized, leading to a decrease in the number of recognized refugees. Among refugees, 31% are female. The number of new asylum applications increased by 20%, but the overall number of new asylum applications remained low at 931 people. This is less than in earlier years (2000-2013) when Ukraine generally received 1,000-1,500 asylum applications per year. Ukraine has tightened border controls, particularly along the eastern border, which has resulted in fewer asylum-seekers entering the country by land from the east. Currently, Ukraine is not along the major routes for movement toward the European Union. The composition of the population seeking asylum has remained stable. People from Afghanistan comprised 22% of asylum-seekers in 2018; the number of Syrians applying for asylum continued to drop. During 2018, UNHCR identified 35 unaccompanied and separated children. Overall, the recognition rate in 2018 was 26% (compared to 29% in 2017).
Ukraine acceded to the 1954 and 1961 statelessness conventions in 2013, however, the authorities have not yet adopted legislation to establish a procedure for determining whether an individual is stateless. Therefore, the registered number of stateless persons (5,650 at the end of 2018) is thought to significantly under-estimate the actual population of stateless persons in Ukraine. Migrants and ethnic minorities, such as the Roma, are at heightened risk of statelessness because they may face discrimination, lack birth registration or other identity documents, and/or have ties to multiple post-Soviet countries. In addition, the UN estimates that 46,000 babies born in NGCA lack Ukrainian-issued birth certificates and may face a future risk of statelessness. Together with UNICEF and OHCHR, UNHCR conducted advocacy for the introduction of an administrative procedure for registration of births that take place in the non-government-controlled areas. In order to prevent statelessness, it is critical that babies born in NGCA have their births registered by the civil authorities at an early stage.
There has been no significant new displacement in 2018 and no major changes in the number of IDPs, although changes in military positions along the contact line caused small-scale displacement. The UN estimates that 800,000 IDPs are residing in GCA. Among IDPs registered with the Ministry of Social Policy, 54% are female, 14% are children and 51% are pensioners. Among people with humanitarian needs, the UN estimates that 30% are older people. Most IDPs were displaced from NGCA during 2014 and early 2015 because of armed conflict. Approximately 31,000 of the total are from the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, including a significant number of Crimean Tatars. Having been displaced for nearly five years, IDPs in Ukraine need to find longer-term solutions to their displacement. Surveys show that few plan to return home in the near future. Most report feeling fully or partially integrated in their communities, but report that they lack employment (particularly for women) and access to affordable housing. They express concerns that they cannot participate fully in governmental and public affairs because they do not have residence registration in their new communities.