Integration hub for internally displaced Ukrainians opens in Mukachevo

The “Platform of Joint Actions” Integration Hub in Mukachevo is located at the 30, Kyryla and Mefodia square. ©Artem Hetman / UNDP in Ukraine

Mukachevo, Zakarpattia Oblast, 9 May 2023 — The “Platform of Joint Actions” Integration Hub opened in the city of Mukachevo to facilitate the active inclusion of internally displaced persons in decision-making processes within their host community. The non-governmental organization “Mariupol Youth Union,” developed the hub with the assistance of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and the UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency and the European Union. The Integration Hub is hosted in the Centre for Public and National Culture.

The Zakarpattia region hosts some 147,000 registered internally displaced people, of which 39,000 are hosted in Mukachevo raion. The number of IDPs per capita is amongst the highest in Ukraine. In response to the devastating effects of the February 2022 full-scale invasion, the Mariupol Union of Youth NGO, now relocated in the Zakarpattia region founded this hub, to serve as a multifunctional space for all in the community. This hub will provide professional skills trainings, workshops for youth in cooperation with the NGO NEEKA, and serve as a gathering point for the Mukachevo and displaced communities as well as private sector actors and local authorities. It will thereby help promote social cohesion and foster growth and sustainable development in Mukachevo and its environs.

The “Platform of Joint Actions” Integration Hub in Mukachevo is located at the 30, Kyryla and Mefodia square. ©Artem Hetman / UNDP in Ukraine

Daria Markovych, Project coordinator of the Mariupol Youth Union NGO, speaking at the launch said “It is important for us that the hub brought everyone together without leaving anyone behind. Therefore, the hub was created as a completely barrier-free space. The building has a barrier-free entrance, an elevator to the second floor, and equipped restrooms. Here, active citizens from different parts of Ukraine will be able to continue their civic activities and work on new projects.”

Christophoros Politis, UNDP Deputy Resident Representative in Ukraine, said the hub constitutes a platform for inclusion and engagement in Mukachevo. It is intended to create a space to strengthen cohesion between host communities and displaced people, businesses and civil society organizations, and to demonstrate the positive impact of joint action at local level. “UNDP remains steadfast and committed to promoting inclusion and diversity, in its support to the recovery of Ukraine,” he said.

Karolina Lindholm Billing, UNHCR Representative in Ukraine, said that the purpose and spirit of this hub is to create a space where locals from Mukachevo, and people who have fled and found safety and a new home in Mukachevo, can come together to get to know each other, learn new skills and develop and contribute with their human capital. “I very much support the approach that people who have been forced to flee their homes and find safety here should not be viewed as ‘IDPs’ or ‘refugees’, but be welcomed and embraced as fully included members of the society, who bring valuable skills and capacities, and help the region advance and move forward to a bright future”, she said.

Alejandro Eggenschwiler, Programme Manager at the EU Delegation in Ukraine, said the hub marks another critical step towards building genuinely inclusive communities. “The Russian war of aggression cannot divide the people of Ukraine,” he said. “The enthusiasm with which local communities welcome newcomers is inspiring.”

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