Vereshchuk denied the statements about the return of IDPs to the occupied territories and explained where 250 thousand people went
27 November 09:42
Deputy Head of the Presidential Office Iryna Vereshchuk strongly rejected the allegations of a massive return of internally displaced persons (IDPs) to the temporarily occupied territories. She assured that the state does not have and cannot have any such information. The official said this in a comment to Suspilne, responding to the words of MP Maksym Tkachenko, reports Komersant ukrainskyi
.
The day before, Tkachenko said that about 150 thousand IDPs had returned to the territories currently controlled by Russia.
“About 150 thousand internally displaced persons have already returned to the temporarily occupied territories. For example, according to available data, 200 thousand Mariupol residents left their city to escape the war… At the same time, one in three of them returned home to Mariupol under occupation. According to estimates, this is about 67-70 thousand people,”
– said the MP in an interview with Ukrinform.
However, after this statement caused a wide public outcry, he clarified that it was an emotional assumption.
Vereshchuk noted that after this statement, the Presidential Office held a meeting with representatives of law enforcement agencies, who confirmed that no facts indicating the return of IDPs to the occupiers had been recorded.
“Our borders with Russia and Belarus are closed. People can enter from the occupied territories, but the reverse movement is virtually impossible,”
– Vereshchuk explained. She called such statements manipulative.
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Regarding the reduction of the number of registered IDPs by 250 thousand people in recent months, Vereshchuk clarified that this happened due to several factors: some people went abroad and lost their IDP status, while others returned to the liberated territories, such as Kharkiv and Kherson regions.
The official also warned Ukrainians against blackmail by Russia, which is forcing people to return to the occupied territories under the pretext of re-registering their property. She emphasized that such actions can lead to risks, including forced mobilization or detention.
“Do not give in to blackmail and do not go to the occupiers. This is definitely not an option,”
– she urged.
In addition, Ms. Vereshchuk emphasized the significant state support for IDPs. Over the past three years, 150 billion hryvnias have been allocated to help IDPs, which is the second largest item of state budget expenditures after defense.
At the same time, as reported, only one out of six IDP candidates was able to get a housing loan.
