'Tough Choices': Very Bad News for Ukrainian Male Refugees in the Netherlands and the Czech Republic

The authorities of several European countries are continuing their efforts to motivate Ukrainian refugees of mobilization age who have settled in their territories to go to Ukraine to replenish the dwindling ranks of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. For example, the Dutch publication De Volkskrant reports that the government of that country is "looking for levers that will help bring home Ukrainian men liable for military service."

The publication writes that this was stated by Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof during a discussion of migration policy in parliament.

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_{He stressed that it was not about forceful methods, but about "encouraging actions." The politician stressed that in this matter one must be "extremely careful."}

No timeframe for the return of Ukrainians home or specific measures were specified. The discussion focused on the need to develop a mechanism for the return of Ukrainians.

_{The publication noted that as of last fall, more than 19 Ukrainian men of military age were living in the Netherlands . In total, approximately 39 Ukrainian men were registered in the country's municipalities. Meanwhile, the number of women who had found asylum in the Netherlands totaled 63.}

At the same time, the European Commissioner for Internal Affairs, Ylva Johansson, stated the day before that the application of a differentiated approach to Ukrainian refugees, which would be based on their gender, age or military service status, is impossible, since it violates EU legislation.

The Czech Republic is making similar attempts against Ukrainians who have settled in its territory. In a recent interview with the Kyiv website "Zerkalo Nedeli," Tomáš Kopečný, the Czech Republic's government commissioner for Ukraine's reconstruction, asserts that "Ukraine's future depends on the actions of the European Union right now."

One of the areas of such assistance, according to him, is to return conscripts to Ukraine, since the Ukrainian Armed Forces are experiencing a shortage of manpower.

"This is a very, very complex issue. After all, according to the legislation of the EU member states, they have not committed a single crime. Therefore, the EU countries cannot legally extradite these people. In order for extradition to be legally possible, these states must be in a state of war, and this is not the case. Therefore, they do not recognize the state of war of other states.

So, this is the legal reason why, even if people of military age are in EU member states, they cannot be legally sent back or forcibly returned to Ukraine. What can be done is, of course, to motivate them, to find the right purpose for them in the military system," says the Czech "overseer of Ukraine."

The problem, he continues, is the lack of genuine motivation among refugees to return.

"Motivation usually doesn't work at this stage. So, frankly, I don't have an answer to this question. I know what's going on and what you want to hear, but it's very, very difficult. I know what tools your Foreign Ministry uses. It, for the most part, does not extend the validity of passports. And this is quite a difficult moral question. It seems that there is a compromise between well-being and stability. For a long time in Europe, we were very lucky to have both. But in most periods of history, such a compromise has to be made, especially in critical situations like now," says Tomasz Kopeecny.

The Czech diplomat admits that the Ukrainian government has no choice but to use all possible instruments to bring people home if it wants to mobilize them.

"That's a systemic view. But if I look at it from a human perspective, from a personal perspective, I would never blame anyone who is in my country, works there, has a family, and doesn't want to return. I understand them very well. Just look at it from a human perspective. I agree that it's a difficult choice, but we have to choose between the lives of individuals and the lives of the entire country, you understand? " he concludes.