Young men under 25 may be allowed to travel outside the country: what proposals are people’s deputies considering
Ukraine is considering the possibility of temporarily liberalizing travel abroad for young men under 25, sparking active discussions among politicians.
Deputies proposed this initiative, and it is currently under discussion. Minister of Education and Science Oksen Lisovyi announced this in a comment to the media.
It was noted that this issue has already been discussed with Ruslan Stefanchuk, the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada, and the point is to exempt young people who have not yet reached draft age from travel restrictions, which will allow them more opportunities for education and development.
“It is necessary not to close the possibility of travel and education for them,” Lisovyi emphasized.
According to him, changes should be implemented now to create favorable conditions for those who have left and to demonstrate that there is also a prospect within the country. The minister added that many parents decide to send their children abroad for security reasons.
Lisovyi also emphasized that it is observed that high school students are leaving the country to study abroad, although some of them continue their studies in Ukrainian schools online. However, the exact number of students who have left is not yet known.
There are different opinions among politicians on this issue. Some MPs advocate for closing the borders to stop the outflow of young people. However, Lisovyi believes that the state should base its policy on trust and liberalization rather than prohibitions.
“I support the values of liberalization, trust, and freedom,” he noted.
The minister also recalled that academic mobility was introduced last year at the initiative of the president and gave the example of the Kyiv Aviation University, where all students returned after studying abroad. At the same time, Lisovyi expressed the opinion that an educational institution from which 12% of students did not return should be responsible for selecting program participants.
Additionally, the government is working to restore full-time education in frontline areas; specifically, the construction of approximately 200 underground schools has already commenced.
