A person forced to flee a dangerous territory needs to know, even before evacuation, where they will be able to live and work. The Ministry for Communities, Territories and Internally Displaced Persons of Ukraine is working on a digital service through which citizens will be able to choose the communities willing to host them.

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Minister Vitalii Bezgin shared details of this initiative, as well as changes to the approach to supporting internally displaced persons, in an interview with Glavkom.

The Minister said that one of the reasons why residents of dangerous territories are reluctant to evacuate is uncertainty about their future. People do not know where they will end up after leaving, whether they will find accommodation and work, or where their children will go to school. Therefore, a new approach to supporting IDPs should provide support for individuals throughout the entire process – from preparing for evacuation to settling into a new community.

A digital platform is set to become one of the tools of such a system. Vitalii Bezgin explains the concept using an analogy with an international accommodation booking service:

‘This might sound ambitious now, but we want to create something similar to Airbnb: where a citizen awaiting evacuation can choose a community that is ready to welcome them and provide accommodation and work.’

This means that communities can take on a new role in the system for supporting IDPs. Their capacity to provide accommodation and employment should become part of the information on which citizens make decisions about relocating.

However, creating such a service requires not only a technological solution but also well-coordinated cooperation between the state and local governments.

‘It is clear that expanding this system will take time and will require IT specialists, financial resources and direct engagement with communities. Work is already underway in each of these areas; in particular, we are seeking donors,’ the Minister noted.

Vitalii Bezgin also admitted that communicating with communities is a more complex task. However, he sees it as an advantage that issues of local self-government and policy regarding IDPs are now centralised in one Ministry.

It has not yet been announced what criteria communities will use to join the platform, how housing and employment offers will be created and updated, or what resources will be available to host communities. These issues are of fundamental importance for the practical implementation of the initiative.

The digital service is just one of the planned tools within the new support system for internally displaced persons. The Ministry is also working on changes to the organisation of evacuation and the further support of displaced persons.

As Vitalii Bezgin explained, the current system is not sufficiently developed, particularly at the stage immediately after a person arrives at a transit centre. To address this issue, MinRehion plans to extend the experience of Kharkiv region, where the “Poruch” system is operating, to the whole country.

‘We are now taking this to the ministerial level and will scale it up across the whole country. This means that at every stage there will be a specific person in charge and a specific institution, rather than collective irresponsibility,’ the Minister emphasised.

This approach provides for clearer coordination between the agencies that are involved in the evacuation. This is important for host communities, as the arrival of displaced persons requires organising their accommodation and ensuring access to basic services.

Another area of reform is the improvement of the IDP registration system. The Ministry plans to create a unified database and an online portal that will record an individual’s displacement history and their current needs.

The aim is to reduce the need to re-collect documents and help the state address not only an individual’s IDP status but also their specific needs.