Two passports—different information: A Hasidic pilgrim was forcibly deported in Uman

Employees of the Uman Division of the Central-Southern Interregional Directorate of the State Migration Service, in cooperation with employees of the Strategic Investigations Directorate of the State Security Service in Cherkasy Oblast, carried out the decision to forcibly expel from Ukraine a 45–year-old foreign national holding citizenship of the United States and the State of Israel. This was reported by the Migration Service of Kirovohrad and Cherkasy Regions.

During a check, it was discovered that his passport documents contained discrepancies in his personal information. The man took advantage of this when entering Ukraine: at border checkpoints, he would present one passport one time and another passport the next.

Furthermore, based on only one of his passports, the foreign national obtained a temporary residence permit in Ukraine. Since issuing the document without listing all of his citizenships violates the law, the permit was revoked.

The foreign national was also held administratively liable for exceeding the permitted length of stay in Ukraine by 86 days. He was barred from entering Ukraine for a period of three years.

The man filed a lawsuit seeking to overturn the Migration Service’s decision on his forced return and submitted a motion to suspend the decision pending the outcome of the case. Courts at various levels denied the request. Consequently, the decision on forced return remained in effect, and the foreign national was required to leave Ukraine. However, he did not do so.

Given the circumstances of the foreign national’s stay in Ukraine, the Uman Branch of the Central Migration Service of the State Migration Service decided to forcibly deport him from Ukraine and ban him from entering the country for a period of five years.

Thus, taking into account the previous three-year ban, the total duration of the entry ban for the foreign national will be 8 years.