Country of origin web portal launched in Ukraine

22 June 2009

The Country of Origin Information Unit (COI) of the Department on Refugees Affairs and Asylum of the State Committee for Nationalities and Religions of Ukraine has launched an internet site www.coi.scnm.gov.ua .

This site carries general information on countries of origin of asylum seekers and refugees in Ukrainian and Russian and internal-use-only-information with restricted access for Regional Migration Services.

The COI Unit was created in February 2009 at the Department on Refugees Affairs and Asylum in the framework of the project implemented by the Danish Refugee Council in Ukraine and funded by the European Union.

The main objectives of the COI Unit are:

• Research Responses to specific information requests from Regional Migration Services

• Translation of COI materials into Ukrainian and Russian

• Website resources: research and translations

• Training on COI usage

Currently the COI Unit internet site is at the initial stage of compiling COI. All country of origin information is diligently selected and translated by the COI Unit specialists.