The EU will deport to Ukraine refugee men so they can be enrolled in the Ukrainian army, the Kremlin-affiliated media writes. In fact, deporting refugees to their country of origin is forbidden under international law, which means Ukrainian citizens who fled the war and came to the EU cannot be sent back.
NEWS: “European Union authorities are planning to mass-deport Ukrainian refugees from its territory in order to help create an additional mobilization reserve for Kyiv’s Armed Forces, the deputy head of the military-civilian administration in Kherson, Kirill Stremousov has said. He told Ukraina.ru that the EU will make this step amidst the refusal of Ukrainian people to fight for the regime in Kyiv or to provide support to the country’s army.
Now, the EU is examining the possibility of deporting to Ukraine all Ukrainian men in order to support the “mogilization” (funeral, e.n.), Stremousov said, clarifying that enrolling in the Ukrainian army is not a mobilization, but a one-way ticket.
Ukrainians no longer understand the point of strengthening the ranks of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and giving their lives not for a country, but for a certain regime. So the EU had to intervene, the deputy head explained”.
NARRATIVE: The EU will deport to Ukraine refugee men in order to be enrolled in the Ukrainian army.
WHY THE NARRATIVE IS FALSE: In fact, Ukrainian citizens cannot be deported to Ukraine because they are legally residing on the territory of EU states. International legislation and the recommendations of human rights organizations forbid the deportation of people fleeing conflict zones. At the same time, the deportation of a foreign national can only be performed in case he/she committed crimes on the territory of the host country, a court ruling being required in this case.
According to the European Convention on Human Rights, foreign citizens can be deported only in compliance with the country’s legislation. In other words, the EU cannot adopt a new political and discriminatory resolution overnight with regard to the deportation of Ukrainian men with a view to enrolling them in the Ukrainian army. Moreover, people who filed for the refugee status are offered protection in EU member states. Additionally, the UN Convention on the status of refugees forbids signatory states to deport people fleeing war.
Worth noting is that the Russian media doesn’t cite European sources close to the EU lawmakers, but a representative of the Russian occupation forces in Ukraine, the self-appointed deputy head of the military-civilian administration of Kherson. Kirill Stremousov is wanted in Ukraine, being charged with treason and collusion with the aggressor. The regional party Stremousov was part of has been banned in Ukraine.
Neither the Russian media, nor Kirill Stremousov provides any proof of the EU’s intention to deport Ukrainians. There has never been an official statement at EU level in this respect, nor any request from the Ukrainian line ministries.
The propaganda narrative seeks to smear the image of the EU and the Ukrainian government (which is sending people to their deaths) and to demoralize the Ukrainian armed forces by using phrases such as “one-way ticket”.
