Relaxation of Martial Law in Ukraine: Men between the ages of 18 and 22 receive permission to leave the country
Young Ukrainians in Kyiv. Photo credit: Vesa Moilanen / Lehtikuva / Sipa Press / Profimedia
Ukrainian authorities announced on Tuesday that they will allow men between the ages of 18 and 22 to leave the country to go abroad, a relaxation of the martial law in force due to the Russian invasion, reports AFP and Agerpres.
So far, from the beginning of the war in February 2022, men between the ages of 18 and 60 were banned from leaving Ukraine, with a few exceptions. Thousands of them try to do this illegally every year, sometimes endangering their lives.
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“The Government has updated the procedure for crossing the national border. Men between the ages of 18 and 22 will be able to pass the border without restrictions during the martial law,” Prime Minister Iulia Svirubeko announced on Telegram.
According to her, the decision applies to all citizens with age in the targeted category, including those “who are currently abroad” and who can therefore return to Ukraine and leave free again.
“We want the Ukrainians to keep their links with Ukraine as much as possible,” the prime minister explained.
Young people between the ages of 18 and 22 are not targeted by military mobilization, the minimum age being reduced in April 2024 to 25 years.
Instead, the army introduced a contract accompanied by financial incentives for this category of male population, but the measure was not the expected success.
Over 5.6 million Ukrainians took refuge abroad, most of them in Europe, according to UN statistics.
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