Special Permits for Citizens: How Residents of the Border Region with Belarus Live Without Documents
As of the end of September, Volyn border guards had issued 11 special permits to stay in the special border control zone along the state border with Belarus. Another 130 applications are currently being processed. The acceptance of documents is ongoing.
The special border regime in the one-kilometer zone along the state border was established on August 17. Previously issued permits to stay within the five-kilometer border zone remain valid.
However, such documents do not grant the right to freely enter, stay, reside, move about, or conduct work within the one-kilometer zone unless such activities are related to the protection and defense of the state border.
In Volyn, seven settlements in three territorial communities are located within the one-kilometer zone from the state border.
Mykola Marges, head of the Samariv community, said that in the village of Kryva Nyva, located no more than one kilometer from the border with Belarus, there are three residential buildings.
According to him, people who live and farm on land plots within the one-kilometer zone along the border with the Republic of Belarus must obtain special permission.
“You can’t even see the boundary markers here, but over there it’s already Belarusian territory. The village of Kozovata and the hamlet of Kryva Nyva fall mostly within this one-kilometer zone. That’s where the residential buildings are located. This doesn’t mean that all the houses are within this zone, but there are a few,” says the community head.
The property of local resident Nina Bigun is located within the special border control zone.
“I’ve lived here my whole life—78 years now. We live here; my daughter helps me out, and that’s it. I have some chickens, two dogs, two cats—and that’s all. There’s no one else around. There are only two houses here; we live here, along with one other woman. Just the three of us,” said the woman from Volyn.
In the village of Kozovata lives 82-year-old Hanna Tarasyuk. It’s less than a kilometer from her garden to the state border.
“The land used to be fertile here. They used to bring fertilizer here, but now everything’s overgrown. There used to be a field right here, and the plot is still here, but there’s no fence so you can see what’s growing over there,” said the retiree.
Galina Alekseychik, a resident of Kozovata, has also heard about the new special permits, but her family hasn’t received them yet.
“We’ll take our passports, gather the documents for the house, and go get those permits,” the woman added.
In total, the Samarivska community includes 19 villages stretching along the Ukrainian-Belarusian border for about 30 kilometers, Mykola Marges explained. According to him, 80 people are registered in Kozovata, and 15 residents live in the village of Kryva Nyva.
Nina Onishchuk’s family lives within the five-kilometer border zone, but part of the land on which the family farms is located directly next to the state border.
“All our vegetable gardens are there, and all our land plots are there within the one-kilometer zone. We’ll just have to fill out some paperwork—they’ll tell us to come in, write a statement, and fill out some more paperwork. It’s no problem,” the woman said.
The Volyn Border Guard Detachment issues the special permit. According to spokesperson Margarita Vershynina, to obtain it, one must submit an application and provide copies of a passport, proof of residence, and documents confirming ownership of the land plot.
For people who do not live within the one-kilometer zone, you must also specify the location and geographic coordinates of your intended stay.
Separate requirements apply to business entities.
“In order to enter, conduct work, or stay within the one-kilometer zone, they must specify and confirm the purpose of such activities, as well as notify the border unit in the area where the work will be carried out or where they will be staying no later than 24 hours in advance, specifying the purpose, location, and the group of individuals who will be carrying out these activities,” Margarita Vershynina added.
The acceptance of applications for special permits in Volyn is ongoing.
This was reported on September 30 by Margarita Vershynina, spokesperson for the Volyn Border Guard Detachment.
A special regime has been introduced in Volyn within the first kilometer of the state border with Belarus. To enter this zone, stay there, move around, or carry out any work, it is necessary to obtain a separate permit from border guards.
Belarus is once again activating relay stations for Russian “Shaheeds”—State Border Guard Service of Ukraine.
