Ukraine: The prevalence of inter-marriages between Tatars, Ukrainians and ethnic Russians, societal attitudes towards such unions and reports of mistreatment and discrimination against non-Tatar partners of Tatars
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 12 November 2002 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | UKR40563.E |
| Reference | 5 |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Ukraine: The prevalence of inter-marriages between Tatars, Ukrainians and ethnic Russians, societal attitudes towards such unions and reports of mistreatment and discrimination against non-Tatar partners of Tatars, 12 November 2002, UKR40563.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3f7d4e317.html [accessed 3 June 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
Information on the prevalence of inter-marriages between Tatars, Ukrainians and ethnic Russians and societal attitudes towards such unions, and reports of mistreatment and discrimination against non-Tatar partners of Tatars could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate. However, the following information may be of interest.
According to the International Helsinki Federation, the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination "expressed regret that national legislation [in the Ukraine] did not contain adequate provisions prohibiting discrimination on the grounds of race and ethnic or national origin" (2002).
According to the Foreign Language Center of the Defense Language Institute in California,
The new Constitution [of the Ukraine] prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, sex, and other grounds; however, due in part to the absence of an effective judicial system, the Government has not been able to enforce effectively many of these provisions. Societal anti-Semitism exists. The Government has not prosecuted anti-Semitic acts under the Law Forbidding the Sowing of Interethnic Hatred. (Apr. 1999, 53).
With important exceptions, there are only isolated cases of ethnic discrimination in Ukraine. (ibid., 65).
Further, an article published in the Europe-Asia Studies journal stated that
Indeed, many Russians have, over time, integrated culturally (and sometimes linguistically) to the Ukrainian context. In regions such as Eastern Ukraine the symbolic boundaries between Russians and Ukrainians tend to be blurred. For example, Kuzio [author of Ukraine: State and Nation Building. 1998. London and New York: Routledge] states that the majority of Russians living in the Donbas are "locals" "who have gone native and intermarried" (1 May 2002).
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.
References
The Defense Language Institute. April 1999. Vol. I. Foreign Language Centre. Culture of the New Independent States (NIS) - Selected Aspects of the New Independent States Religion/Culture. Europe-Asia Studies. 1 May 2002. Vol. 54, No. 3. Anna Fournier. "Mapping Identities: Russian Resistance to Linguistic Ukrainisation in Central and Eastern Ukraine." (NEXIS)
International Helsinki Federation. 2002. Human Rights in the OSCE Region: The Balkans, The Caucasus, Europe, Central Asia and North America. Additional Sources Consulted
Ethnic Groups Worldwide. 1998. David Levinson. Phoenix: Oryx Press.
World Directory of Minorities. 1997. London: Minority Rights Group International.
WNC.
Internet sites, including:
Ahtehha. BBC. Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2001. Den. Freedom in the World Report. 2002. Kyiv Post. Minority Rights Group. Nations in Transit. 2002. Ukraine News. The Ukrainian Observer. United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. Zerkalo Nedeli [Kyiv]. Search engine:
Google.
