This dissertation is devoted to a comprehensive study of the administrative and legal foundations for ensuring the status of internally displaced persons (IDPs) and refugees under martial law in Ukraine. The relevance of the topic is determined by the fact that the prolonged armed invasion of the Russian Federation into the territory of Ukraine has caused unprecedented processes of internal migration. According to international organizations, the number of IDPs exceeds several million, which creates a significant burden on the system of public administration, social protection, and legal regulation. At the same time, the problem of protecting the rights of refugees and IDPs goes beyond the national context, as Ukraine has become part of the global discourse on safeguarding human rights in conditions of armed conflict. This underscores the urgent need to improve administrative and legal mechanisms that must guarantee not only the formal recognition of such persons’ status but also their real ability to exercise social, housing, and other rights. Thus, the study of this issue has not only theoretical but also practical significance, since its results may be used for the development of effective state policies in the field of human rights protection.
The dissertation examines in detail the theoretical and legal foundations of the administrative and legal status of IDPs and refugees, who represent special categories of subjects of administrative law. Importantly, their legal status cannot be reduced merely to formal legislative recognition, as it reflects real social processes occurring in conditions of armed conflict. The work emphasizes that under martial law, the content of the status of these persons is shaped by the combination of national legal norms and international human rights standards, in particular the provisions of the 1951 Refugee Convention and
the 1967 Protocol, as well as the practice of the European Court of Human Rights. Additionally, the specific functioning of state authorities in crisis conditions is taken into account, when administrative procedures often require adaptation to extraordinary circumstances. Therefore, the status of IDPs and refugees is considered as a dynamic category that constantly changes under the influence of external and internal factors, including political decisions, international obligations, and socio‑economic challenges. This allows the conclusion that the administrative and legal safeguarding of this status has a complex character and requires a systemic approach that combines theoretical developments with practical mechanisms for the realization of rights.
In the first chapter of the dissertation, a thorough analysis of the conceptual framework and the structure of administrative and legal norms that define and regulate the status of internally displaced persons (IDPs) and refugees is carried out. The clarity and systematic nature of legal definitions are a prerequisite for the proper functioning of mechanisms for the protection of human rights under martial law. The determination of the legal status of these categories of persons during the armed aggression against Ukraine acquires particular importance, as it not only establishes their rights and obligations but also forms the basis for the practical activities of state authorities and local self‑government bodies.
Administrative and legal norms in the field of protection of IDPs and refugees have a complex character: they encompass issues of registration, provision of social assistance, housing, access to medical and educational services. Under martial law, these norms must be adapted to extraordinary circumstances, when the speed of decision‑making and the coordination of actions of different authorities become critically important.
The effectiveness of determining status depends on the consistency of normative legal acts and the absence of conflicts between them. The dissertation provides examples where duplication of powers or lack of clarity in formulations led to legal uncertainty, complicating the realization of the rights of IDPs and refugees. To ensure the stability of
legal status, it is necessary not only to improve the legislative framework but also to create effective mechanisms of coordination between central and local authorities.
Thus, the first chapter lays the theoretical foundation for further research, demonstrating that administrative and legal norms in the field of protection of IDPs and refugees are not static but rather dynamic, and their effectiveness is determined by the state’s ability to respond quickly to the challenges of wartime.
The second chapter of the dissertation is devoted to the analysis of normative‑legal and substantive‑legal guarantees that ensure the realization of the rights of internally displaced persons (IDPs) and refugees both in Ukraine and in partner states.
