In Volyn, there is a need to build new Ukrainian-Polish border crossing points!

Visits abroad and assessment of the operation of crossing points According to the survey results, 55% of respondents make trips abroad to the Republic of Poland or other European Union countries. The majority of those who travel outside the country – 41.5% – make such trips once every few years, 17.1% – once a year, 12.2% – every six months, 6.1% – once every one to two months, and 7.3% – travel outside Ukraine once a week. Every second of them makes private visits abroad, while 24.4% make tourist trips, and another 21.8% travel abroad for business purposes. Most often, for trips toward the Republic of Poland, respondents cross the border at the Ustyluh-Zosin crossing point (43.4%) and Yahodyn-Dorohusk (34.2%). 64.2% of respondents who travel abroad consider the congestion at existing border crossing points to be high, 29.6% – medium, and only 3.7% call it low. Among those who speak of the greatest congestion at existing state border crossing points, these are respondents who most often cross the border through Yahodyn – 81%. Most often, respondents use buses for trips – 53.2% of respondents. 30.4% travel by passenger car, and 15.2% by freight transport. The need to create new crossing points and citizens' concerns 89.5% of respondents believe that today there is a need to create new border crossing points, and only 2.8% tend to believe that no such need exists. At the same time, 74.3% of respondents assure that if a new crossing point on the state border of Ukraine is created near their settlement, they will travel outside the country more often, while 15.5% of respondents said that the frequency of their trips abroad will not change. 10.1% of respondents did not answer the question. 87.1% of respondents believe that the creation of new border crossing points will improve the conditions for crossing the state border of Ukraine, and only 3.4% believe that this will not change the situation with the congestion of border crossing points. Those who currently cross the Ukrainian-Polish border weekly and once every 1-2 months expressed 100 percent confidence that the frequency of their trips outside the country toward Poland will increase. Thanks to the construction of a new border crossing point, 63% of those who currently do not travel outside Ukraine expressed readiness to travel to Poland or other EU countries.

The data presented indicate that the creation of additional citizen crossing points across the border will promote the development of personal and friendly contacts, as well as cultural-educational and investment-business relations. Thanks to the construction of a new crossing point on the state border of Ukraine, business, commercial, and investment interstate relations will develop better, since 100% of respondents who travel for business purposes weekly and once every one to two months abroad, and 50% of those who make business trips to Poland once every six months and once a year, answered that they will travel abroad more often. Under such conditions, the number of tourist trips will also grow, as stated by 75% of respondents who travel for tourism purposes once every three to four months, and 67% – those traveling once a year. The creation of a new crossing point on the state border of Ukraine will influence the improvement of friendly, educational, and family relations of residents of the border territories of Volyn oblast, since 100% of respondents who travel abroad for private matters more often than once a year stated that the frequency of trips abroad would increase under the given condition. Overall, 53% of respondents believe that the construction of a new border crossing point will not harm their family. Mainly, residents of Novovolynsk speak of many positives for the local population as a result of the construction of new crossing points across the border with the Republic of Poland.

However, there is a fairly large share of those who see a danger for themselves and their family in this. The rural population in the overwhelming majority (over 90% of surveyed respondents living in villages) believe that the creation of new state border crossing points will harm their families. Given that among the rural population there is a large number of those who choose the option "difficult to answer" in questions about their expectations from the creation of additional border crossing points, attention should be paid to educational and informational work that will ensure their perception of this initiative to build a border crossing point in a more positive light. The study showed that even those respondents who fear certain threats for them and their families from the construction of a border crossing point near their place of residence claim that there is a need to create new border crossing points (96%). It is worth noting that 90% of respondents who speak of the existence of a need to create additional crossing points on the state border of Ukraine associate with it hopes for improving the conditions for crossing the Ukrainian-Polish border. Citizens' awareness of the initiatives of authorities and public organizations It is worth noting the high awareness of the local population regarding the initiative to build a new crossing point on the state border of Ukraine. 71.8% of respondents had already heard about the possible creation of a border crossing point near the village of Krechiv, Ivanychi district, and 24.8% are hearing about it for the first time. Among those who have not heard about the initiative to build a border crossing point near the village of Krechiv, Ivanychi district – every third is a pensioner. At the same time, 90% of respondents support this initiative, and only 3.4% do not approve of such a step. 6.7% have no clear opinion on this issue. 60% of respondents who do not support this initiative are people aged 40-59, and 40% of respondents are older people aged 60+. The greatest support for this initiative is among residents of Novovolynsk – 96.6%. Although the rural population also actively supports the construction of a border crossing point near Krechiv (over 80%). Among those who do not support the initiative to create a crossing point across the Ukrainian border – 40% do not travel outside the country, and the same number travel very rarely – once every few years. During the survey, it was found that 52% of the local population participated once in the European Days of Good Neighbourhood "Border 835", and another 23.5% were participants in this event two years in a row. However, it is also worth noting that a fairly large percentage of respondents – 47% – have heard nothing about the holding of the Days of Good Neighbourhood "Border 835" near their settlements. Analyzing the participation of respondents by territorial affiliation, one can note greater interest in these events among the rural population – only 3.8% of respondents from the village of Krechiv and 11.4% of respondents from the village of Movnyky did not participate in these events. And as many as 73.9% of surveyed residents of the city of Novovolynsk did not participate in the European Days of Good Neighbourhood "Border 835".

Conclusions The results of the study of public opinion of residents of border territories on the feasibility of creating new border crossing points allow the following conclusions to be drawn: - More than half of the residents of border territories that are part of the border zone cross the Ukrainian-Polish border; - The congestion of existing border crossing points is quite high; - Residents of the surveyed settlements believe that the creation of new crossing points on the Ukrainian-Polish border will improve the conditions for crossing the state border; - The creation of new crossing points on the state border of Ukraine will contribute to more frequent travel abroad by residents of border territories; - The creation of an additional crossing point on the Ukrainian-Polish border will contribute to the improvement of state, friendly, neighbourly, and personal contacts, and will improve international ties in the field of education and business; - The creation of new crossing points on the state border of Ukraine will contribute to the creation of local infrastructure and additional jobs, improve business conditions, and promote investment in border villages and towns; - High awareness of the local population about the initiative to create a border crossing point near the village of Krechiv, Ivanychi district, has been observed. At the same time, such an initiative is extremely approved by local residents; - Sufficient awareness of the population about the project and a high level of their participation in the European Days of Good Neighbourhood "Border-835" has been noted; - In the event of the implementation of the idea to create a new crossing point on the state border near the village of Krechiv, Ivanychi district, Volyn oblast, informational work must be carried out in villages in order to overcome fears about possible harm to local residents. The advertising and educational program should be directed at the older population living in rural areas.

For reference: The project "European Days of Good Neighbourhood 'Border 835'" was implemented by the Volyn Oblast Youth Public Organization "Association of Young Reformers" (Lutsk) in partnership with the International Public Organization "Academy of Ukrainian Youth" (Lviv), the Foundation of Spiritual Culture of the Borderland (Lublin), and the International Public Organization "Perspektyva" (Novovolynsk). Financial support for the implementation of the project "European Days of Good Neighbourhood 'Border 835'" was provided by the International Renaissance Foundation. Project goal: lobbying the idea of opening new crossing points on the Ukrainian-Polish border by activating joint efforts on both sides of the border, as well as spreading the ideas of good neighbourliness and European integration among residents of adjacent regions. The main part of the project events took place on August 21-22, 2010, on the Ukrainian-Polish border near border marker 835 on the bank of the Buh River, next to the settlements of Krechiv (Ivanychi district, Volyn oblast, Ukraine) and Kryliv (Lublin Voivodeship, Poland). The study of citizens' opinions on the feasibility of creating new crossing points on the Ukrainian-Polish border was conducted in November 2010. During the study, 150 residents of border territories aged 18 and older living in the settlements closest to border marker No. 835 were surveyed. In particular, these are residents of the city of Novovolynsk and the villages of Krechiv and Movnyky. The survey was conducted by random selection of respondents at their place of residence. The sample reproduces the statistical structure of the general population by main socio-demographic characteristics – age, sex. Face-to-face interviews.