Friends help assess the chances of getting asylum in Canada. I summarized my story and I would be interested to know your opinion.
My name is Oleksandr. I was born and have been permanently residing until 2013 in the village of Fashchivka, Luhansk region, eastern Ukraine. I spent my whole conscious life in Luhansk region. In 1999 I completed Fashchivka Secondary School #24. Upon completion of school I successfully passed examinations and entered Luhansk Teachers' Training University majoring in social work and psychology. I commenced my employment activities in Luhansk region, namely at the Executive Committee of Zhovtnevyy District Council of the city of Luhansk. My employment continued at Luhansk Regional State Administration. I have been working for the public agencies that supported the Ukrainian policy.
In January 2013 I started working in the United Arab Emirates according to my friends' proposal. It was an interesting proposal, which enabled me to get new background and to gain an international experience. Therefore, I took the proposal and started working at Dubai International Travel Company.
My parents remained in Luhansk region. I kept in touch with my parents, I was interested about what was happening in Ukraine. The events connected with the annexation of Crimea in March 2014 affected me. However, the crisis in the eastern Ukraine, i.e. in the territory where I was born, where I studied and worked and where my parents lived, had been a hard blow to me. Starting from April 2014 I was continuously receiving the news about seizures of administrative authorities in my native city by pro-Russian military groups. There are active military actions in Luhansk and its suburbs, and my parents found themselves in the focus of them. It was unsafe to remain in the territory, which was actually controlled by the terrorists, and my parents were forced to leave the city and to search for a refuge at their relatives and friends' places. Nervous stresses and anxiety resulted in my father's disease. He was in St. Elizabeth Hospital, but they refused to make him a surgical procedure. Despite all danger, my father returned to his mother's village in Luhansk region and died there on September 28, 2014 as a result of glioma of dextral parietal lobe. For a long time my mother did not even know where my father was, she did not have a possibility to say goodbye and to bury him. My mother took hard the death of her husband and my father Babushkin Yevhen Valentynovych, born in 1955. My mother can not come back to Luhansk region, because this territory is controlled by pro-Russian mercenaries. She has been residing at her friends' place in western Ukraine since 2014.
On April 13, 2014 President pro tempore Oleksandr Turchynov stated that in order to stop a wild burst of terrorism, organized by Russian intelligence service in the eastern regions of Ukraine, the Council of National Security and Defense of Ukraine commenced a large-scale anti-terrorist operation involving Armed Forces of Ukraine. The situation in Ukraine is very complicated now, an undeclared war in the East is still lasting. The first and the second waves of mobilization took place in spring of 2014 pursuant to the Decrees of the President pro tempore dated March 17 and May 06. The third wave commenced on July 21 pursuant to the Decree of the President. On July 22 the Supreme Council voted for the corresponding law. There were 7 waves of mobilization announced in Ukraine. Men aged from 25 until 60 years old are subject to mobilization if to speak about soldiers and sergeants. The age limit for the officers is 60 years, for senior officers – 65 years according to the Law “On mobilization training and mobilization” This law is peculiar by the fact that the draft is practically compulsory. The young men, who have nothing to do with a military sphere and who are not the employees of the internal affairs bodies are forced to come to the military registration and enlistment office with the help of police, where they are served with call-up papers and sent to the region of combat operations. The procedure of serving call-up papers takes place with crude violation of laws. There were cases when the police and officers of military registration and enlistment offices organized real raids for the men of call-up age at the airports, railway stations, border crossing points.
Since September 2014 Luhansk was occupied by the terrorists and pro-Russian mercenaries. Terrorists turned Luhansk into a large military camp. Luhansk was exposed to mass shelling on part of separatists, which led to partial or full destruction of some districts of the city. My house was ruined completely as it was located not far from Luhansk airport, where the most cruel fights took place. It is impossible to return to my native city, where there is no electricity, water, cell communication, foodstuffs in the shops, people are out of money. As a result of armed conflicts civilian residents die, some of my friends perished too. Separatists force men to mobilization and fight. I have never served in the army. According to my moral and ethical beliefs, I am not able and do not want to kill people, including my countrymen. I am not able to return to other territories of Ukraine too, as I shall automatically be subject to mobilization. Evasion from mobilization entails criminal responsibility. Pursuant to art. 336 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, evading conscription service on mobilization is punishable by imprisonment for a term of two to five years. Thus, in accordance with art. 210-1 of the Code of Ukraine on administrative offenses, infringement of legislation on defense, mobilization training and mobilization (in particular, failure to appear at military registration and enlistment office without valid reasons) entails penalty from citizens from ten to thirty untaxed minimums of citizens' income (from UAH 170 to 510). I can not rule out the possibility that in case if I am drafted to the army, I shall be forced to fight with separatists, among whom could be my friends, residing in Luhansk region. I would like to emphasize once again that as a teacher and a Christian, I am not able to take weapons and get to my city to kill people. I am convinced that there are military professionals with special training who could deal with it, and not just ordinary young people, thrown under fire to die. There are many military men in Ukraine, who participated in peacekeeping operations and who are motivated for the service. That is why it is not surprising that the seventh wave of mobilization plan was fulfilled for 50% only, as the position similar to mine is supported by a lot of people. Many criminal cases were instituted in this connection for evasion from mobilization, many persons are wanted.
At present while I stay in Dubai, I realize that there is no possibility for me to return home in the nearest time. I do not want to be among those against whom a criminal case is instituted and who will bear criminal responsibility.
My name is Oleksandr. I was born and have been permanently residing until 2013 in the village of Fashchivka, Luhansk region, eastern Ukraine. I spent my whole conscious life in Luhansk region. In 1999 I completed Fashchivka Secondary School #24. Upon completion of school I successfully passed examinations and entered Luhansk Teachers' Training University majoring in social work and psychology. I commenced my employment activities in Luhansk region, namely at the Executive Committee of Zhovtnevyy District Council of the city of Luhansk. My employment continued at Luhansk Regional State Administration. I have been working for the public agencies that supported the Ukrainian policy.
In January 2013 I started working in the United Arab Emirates according to my friends' proposal. It was an interesting proposal, which enabled me to get new background and to gain an international experience. Therefore, I took the proposal and started working at Dubai International Travel Company.
My parents remained in Luhansk region. I kept in touch with my parents, I was interested about what was happening in Ukraine. The events connected with the annexation of Crimea in March 2014 affected me. However, the crisis in the eastern Ukraine, i.e. in the territory where I was born, where I studied and worked and where my parents lived, had been a hard blow to me. Starting from April 2014 I was continuously receiving the news about seizures of administrative authorities in my native city by pro-Russian military groups. There are active military actions in Luhansk and its suburbs, and my parents found themselves in the focus of them. It was unsafe to remain in the territory, which was actually controlled by the terrorists, and my parents were forced to leave the city and to search for a refuge at their relatives and friends' places. Nervous stresses and anxiety resulted in my father's disease. He was in St. Elizabeth Hospital, but they refused to make him a surgical procedure. Despite all danger, my father returned to his mother's village in Luhansk region and died there on September 28, 2014 as a result of glioma of dextral parietal lobe. For a long time my mother did not even know where my father was, she did not have a possibility to say goodbye and to bury him. My mother took hard the death of her husband and my father Babushkin Yevhen Valentynovych, born in 1955. My mother can not come back to Luhansk region, because this territory is controlled by pro-Russian mercenaries. She has been residing at her friends' place in western Ukraine since 2014.
On April 13, 2014 President pro tempore Oleksandr Turchynov stated that in order to stop a wild burst of terrorism, organized by Russian intelligence service in the eastern regions of Ukraine, the Council of National Security and Defense of Ukraine commenced a large-scale anti-terrorist operation involving Armed Forces of Ukraine. The situation in Ukraine is very complicated now, an undeclared war in the East is still lasting. The first and the second waves of mobilization took place in spring of 2014 pursuant to the Decrees of the President pro tempore dated March 17 and May 06. The third wave commenced on July 21 pursuant to the Decree of the President. On July 22 the Supreme Council voted for the corresponding law. There were 7 waves of mobilization announced in Ukraine. Men aged from 25 until 60 years old are subject to mobilization if to speak about soldiers and sergeants. The age limit for the officers is 60 years, for senior officers – 65 years according to the Law “On mobilization training and mobilization” This law is peculiar by the fact that the draft is practically compulsory. The young men, who have nothing to do with a military sphere and who are not the employees of the internal affairs bodies are forced to come to the military registration and enlistment office with the help of police, where they are served with call-up papers and sent to the region of combat operations. The procedure of serving call-up papers takes place with crude violation of laws. There were cases when the police and officers of military registration and enlistment offices organized real raids for the men of call-up age at the airports, railway stations, border crossing points.
Since September 2014 Luhansk was occupied by the terrorists and pro-Russian mercenaries. Terrorists turned Luhansk into a large military camp. Luhansk was exposed to mass shelling on part of separatists, which led to partial or full destruction of some districts of the city. My house was ruined completely as it was located not far from Luhansk airport, where the most cruel fights took place. It is impossible to return to my native city, where there is no electricity, water, cell communication, foodstuffs in the shops, people are out of money. As a result of armed conflicts civilian residents die, some of my friends perished too. Separatists force men to mobilization and fight. I have never served in the army. According to my moral and ethical beliefs, I am not able and do not want to kill people, including my countrymen. I am not able to return to other territories of Ukraine too, as I shall automatically be subject to mobilization. Evasion from mobilization entails criminal responsibility. Pursuant to art. 336 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, evading conscription service on mobilization is punishable by imprisonment for a term of two to five years. Thus, in accordance with art. 210-1 of the Code of Ukraine on administrative offenses, infringement of legislation on defense, mobilization training and mobilization (in particular, failure to appear at military registration and enlistment office without valid reasons) entails penalty from citizens from ten to thirty untaxed minimums of citizens' income (from UAH 170 to 510). I can not rule out the possibility that in case if I am drafted to the army, I shall be forced to fight with separatists, among whom could be my friends, residing in Luhansk region. I would like to emphasize once again that as a teacher and a Christian, I am not able to take weapons and get to my city to kill people. I am convinced that there are military professionals with special training who could deal with it, and not just ordinary young people, thrown under fire to die. There are many military men in Ukraine, who participated in peacekeeping operations and who are motivated for the service. That is why it is not surprising that the seventh wave of mobilization plan was fulfilled for 50% only, as the position similar to mine is supported by a lot of people. Many criminal cases were instituted in this connection for evasion from mobilization, many persons are wanted.
At present while I stay in Dubai, I realize that there is no possibility for me to return home in the nearest time. I do not want to be among those against whom a criminal case is instituted and who will bear criminal responsibility.
