More than 20 New Zealanders remain in Ukraine despite Government advice to leave the eastern European nation which is currently being encroached on by Russian forces.
Since February 12, when Foreign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta warned New Zealanders in Ukraine to "leave immediately", at least 17 Kiwis have departed. Every applicant who applied for an emergency spot in managed isolation and quarantine (MIQ) due to being in an unsafe location was given a space.
There were 33 New Zealanders registered with SafeTravel when Mahuta's message was sent out amid fears of a Russian invasion. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) says registrations for Ukraine "have been up to 39 since that time".
"The New Zealand Embassy in Warsaw has made contact with all New Zealanders registered on SafeTravel as being in Ukraine," an MFAT spokesperson told Newshub.
"The embassy has helped several New Zealanders depart. We are aware of at least 17 New Zealanders who have departed Ukraine since our advice was issued, including some who were not registered on SafeTravel.
"Of those still in Ukraine, a number have indicated that they are planning to leave while the remainder are waiting to see how the situation develops. We currently have 23 New Zealanders registered on SafeTravel as being in Ukraine."
However, the MIQ system means returning to New Zealand isn't as easy as just booking a flight.
Most Kiwis overseas still need to obtain a MIQ voucher via the virtual lobby system, but there are emergency allocations for those who need to travel to New Zealand urgently. About 800 rooms are set aside per month for this purpose.
One category for an emergency room is for New Zealand citizens or residents who "are in a location or situation where there is a serious risk to their safety and their only option is to return to New Zealand".
MIQ told Newshub that, since February 12, it had received four applications for an emergency allocation in this category from three applicants identifying themselves as being in Ukraine.
Three of these applications were approved, while one was deactivated as the applicant had filed two applications. Their other application got the greenlight.
There has been one virtual lobby room release since the message to leave and MIQ said no one identified Ukraine as either their nationality or country of departure.
"We have a dedicated team who work just on emergency allocation requests," a MIQ spokesperson said.
"They work hard to ensure everyone is treated fairly. They work seven days a week to ensure that applications are turned around as quickly as possible.
"We encourage everyone applying for an emergency allocation to carefully read the criteria and make sure all the relevant supporting information is included upfront in their initial application. This will ensure faster processing and less need for us to seek additional information, which slows the process down."
The next lobby room release will be on Thursday. It will be the first since Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday ordered troops into eastern Ukraine after declaring two regions of the country to be independent.
In that release, 4500 rooms will be made available over February, March and April. During the February 17 opportunity, everyone who queued had the chance to book a room, but some chose not to.
MFAT continues to advise New Zealanders to not travel to Ukraine "due to the risk of armed conflict", while Kiwis there are still told to leave immediately by commercial means.
"Flight availability could change or be suspended at short notice, making it difficult to leave Ukraine. New Zealand’s ability to provide consular assistance to New Zealanders in Ukraine is very limited. The security situation in Ukraine could change at short notice and New Zealanders should not rely on support with evacuating in these circumstances.
"New Zealanders in Ukraine requiring urgent consular assistance can contact the New Zealand Embassy in Warsaw (accredited to Ukraine) at nzwsw@nzembassy.pl or the 24/7 Consular emergency line on +64 99 20 20 20."
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern reiterated that advice on Wednesday. She said those wanting to come home "would fit within the criteria to be supported immediately for space within managed isolation and within two weeks they also won't be required to use it".
From February 28, New Zealanders in Australia will be able to return to Aotearoa and isolate at home without having to spend time in MIQ. Kiwis located elsewhere around the globe will also be able to bypass MIQ from March 13.
Putin's decision on Tuesday to say that Donetsk and Luhansk in eastern Ukraine were "independent" and to send forces across the border into the regions sparked global outrage. Western nations, including the US and UK, have already hit back with sanctions.
The New Zealand Government summoned Russian Ambassador to New Zealand Georgii Viktorovich Zuev to MFAT on Wednesday so he could "hear New Zealand’s strong opposition". The Russian Embassy told Newshub the ambassador also "expressed the Russian view of the situation", but wouldn't go into detail.
"We repeat our call for Russia to act consistently with its international obligations, and return to diplomatic negotiations as a pathway to resolve this conflict," Mahuta said on Wednesday.
"A military invasion is an act of aggression, and a violation of one of the most basic tenets of international law."
Both Donetsk and Luhansk are in the Donbas region and have been sites of fighting between Ukrainian troops and Russian-backed separatist forces since 2014. They broke away during insurgencies in the aftermath of Russia's annexation of Crimea and, despite ceasefire agreements, continue to see frequent conflict. The separatist leaders were at the Kremlin with Putin on Tuesday.
