Ukraine’s ‘Migrant’ Operation Uncovers Over 2,000 Illegal Immigrants and Imposes 20 Million Hryvnias in Fines

Ukraine’s Extensive 'Migrant' Operation

According to Державна міграційна служба: Between May 22 and October 30, 2026, Ukraine launched a comprehensive initiative called the 'Migrant' operation aimed at detecting and addressing breaches of migration laws. Throughout this period, authorities identified 2,002 undocumented migrants and issued fines totaling nearly 20 million hryvnias. The State Migration Service (SMS), collaborating closely with law enforcement agencies, carried out wide-ranging inspections and interagency activities to locate violators and individuals potentially threatening national security.

As part of the operation, the SMS implemented the following measures:

• Forced return orders issued for 1,708 foreign nationals;
• 294 decisions made to forcibly expel individuals;
• Temporary detention centers housed 209 foreigners and stateless persons;
• Entry bans imposed on 1,814 foreigners preventing their access to Ukraine.

The largest groups of illegal migrants originated from the following countries:

• Azerbaijan – 345 individuals (17.2%);
• Moldova – 248 individuals;
• Colombia – 244 individuals;
• Russia – 179 individuals;
• Turkey – 158 individuals;
• Georgia – 109 individuals;
• Uzbekistan – 93 individuals;
• Armenia – 92 individuals;
• India – 46 individuals.

Detailed Findings and Enforcement Results

The highest numbers of undocumented migrants were detected in these areas:

• Kyiv and Kyiv region – 473 individuals (23.6%);
• Odesa region – 288 individuals (14.4%);
• Western region (Lviv and Ivano-Frankivsk regions) – 228 individuals (11.4%);
• Dnipropetrovsk region – 148 individuals (7.4%);
• Central region (Kirovohrad and Cherkasy regions) – 129 individuals (6.4%);
• Vinnytsia region – 97 individuals (4.8%);
• Kharkiv region – 81 individuals (4%);
• Khmelnytskyi region – 69 individuals (3.4%);
• Zakarpattia region – 68 individuals (3.4%).

In total, 6,218 people, including both foreigners and Ukrainian citizens, faced administrative penalties. The breakdown of penalties is as follows:

• 5,441 fined under Article 203 of the Code of Ukraine on Administrative Offenses;
• 5 fined under Article 203¹;
• 1 fined under Article 204;
• 771 fined under Article 205.

By November 2, 2026, approximately 17.5 million hryvnias had been collected in fines. The operation involved multiple agencies, including:

• State Migration Service;
• National Police;
• State Border Guard Service;
• Security Service of Ukraine (SBU);
• Foreign Intelligence Service;
• State Bureau of Investigations;
• and other governmental and local authorities.

Interagency inspections were carried out in cooperation with the Department of Strategic Investigations of the National Police and the SBU’s Counterintelligence Department.

The 'Migrant' operation reflects Ukraine’s commitment to strengthening migration control and safeguarding national security.

The uncovering of a substantial number of illegal migrants along with the imposition of significant fines demonstrates active law enforcement efforts in this area. Amid global migration challenges, such initiatives are crucial for Ukraine to maintain order and legality in migration flows.