In Hesse, Germany, Ukrainian men will not be issued travel document that replaces international passport - DW
In the German federal state of Hesse, Ukrainian men of military age will not be issued a travel document for traveling abroad, which replaces a passport in case of its absence.
This is stated in the response of the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs of Hesse to a request from the parliamentary faction of the Alternative for Germany party, DW writes, Censor.NET reports.
The Hessian Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs noted that the men are able to travel to Ukraine to obtain a passport.
"Hessian foreign affairs offices will not usually issue German certificates to Ukrainian men of mobilization age to replace documents for traveling abroad. They are able to travel to Ukraine to obtain a passport and perform military service," the office said in a statement.
It is noted that about 20 thousand Ukrainian men aged 18 to 60 live in Hesse. The ministry emphasized that "recruiting people to participate in the defense campaign against Russia and thus encouraging them to return to their homeland is in Ukraine's clear interests."
The Hessian administrative services website reports that German travel documents that replace foreign passports can be issued to citizens of other countries only in special exceptional cases, as this violates the passport sovereignty of another country.
Such a document can be issued if a person can prove that he or she does not have a passport or a document that replaces it and is unable to obtain it. DW journalists add that each such decision is made individually.
Earlier, the Secretary General of the conservative German CDU/CSU party, Carsten Linnemann, proposed to cancel financial assistance to refugees who are not officially employed. This includes Ukrainian refugees.
