Biometric passports for travelling abroad without visas have been received mostly by those who already had foreign travel passports, even visas, Ilko Kucheriv Democratic initiatives Foundation Iryna Bekeshkina has said.
“More than a third of the population thinks the visa-free regime is important for them… People who live further to Ukraine’s western borders most appreciate the status,” Bekeshkina said.
In response to the question, “Do you have a biometric passport,” 9% of respondents answered affirmatively. According to the survey results, mostly young people have received biometric passports.
Bekeshkina said a large portion of the population plans on applying for biometric passports after the commotion about the issue subsides.
“Some 66% of the population has no foreign travel passports, biometric or otherwise. That’s a lot. If we compare this to 2013, when no one was even talking about a visa-free regime, 70% of respondents had them,” she said, adding that 84% of respondents over the age of 60 does not have foreign travel passports, with 78% of them not planning to obtain them.
Bekeshkina said according to the survey, only 14% of respondents have familiarized themselves with the rules of entering EU countries visa-free. This is a lot less than the number of people saying they want to travel to the Schengen zone, she said.
The survey was conducted by the Democratic Initiatives Foundation together with the Razumkov Center from June 9 through June 13. Some 2,018 people took part.
