Fair Play – UKBA Kyiv

Those of you who read my post yesterday, entitled the “Great British Handshake”, where I raised some reasonable points……I think…….are in need of an up-date.

As stated, I did email the story to certain people (although I know they read this blog on occasion) and low and behold……..

This morning, our male model reattended the UKBA Kyiv at 1000 with yet another Visa Application, this time for a Tier 5 Visa, completed by yours truly.

He was dealt with by the same Mr X from the UKBA…….who volunteered his name today, at least his first name, without being asked.

Mr X was, I am told courteous, polite and extremely efficient.  The application was accepted which is all that can be asked for.  The result of the application is irrelevant to me of course, my issues were clearly stated and revolved soley around how the UK was being represented.

I will of course let you all know the outcome…….nothing worse than a story without conclusion……particularly if you are one of my Ukrainian readers.

It seems those individuals I emailed have indeed dealt with the matters in hand quite expeditiously.

To those responsible, my genuine thanks are sent to one and all……you know who you are.

Manners maketh man…….as my Mum drilled into me as a child.

Ukraine’s Population down by 100,000 so far in 2010

Ukraine’s population dropped by 98,400 people in the January-May period this year to 45.87 million as of 1st June, 2010, the State Statistics Committee reported.

In January-May, some 197,500 children were born and 295,900 people died in Ukraine. The birth rate is 10.4 per 1,000 people, while the death rate is 15.9 per 1,000, according to the official website of the State Statistics Committee of Ukraine.

Some 86,600 marriages and 57,300 divorces were registered in Ukraine in the January-May period. The marriage rate is 4.6 per 1,000 people, and the divorce rate is 3 per 1,000.

Now I have recently commented in the pension posts about the continual decline of Ukraine’s population and that dependent upon whether the deaths are mainly of the elderly or mainly of the current tax generating population having a major effect with the statisticians solutions.

 What are the reasons for this continued decline that has existed ever since I moved here from Moscow?

 (Yes I know the Russian population is also in decline and one of the common denominators in both nations has been me…….but as tempting as it is to assist both nations with their demographic issues by direct action on my part……my good lady would probably draw the line at me impregnating every woman that walked past….assuming these women would appreciate such attention from a middle aged, slightly rotund, baldy slap-head like me!)

So what is going on – the link below shows global figures going up (by way of birth) and down (by way of death) in real time…….so it claims.

http://www.worldometers.info/

It is obviously not just a Ukrainian issue.  If it were not for the continual immigration to the USA (by half of Mexico) then US demographic figures would be falling, many EU nations have falling demographics is immigration is stripped out…….so why?

 Is it that in days gone by, we Europeans bred like rabbits having large families to insure that at least 1 or 2 of the children made it to adult life and did not fall foul of illness?

 Is it that we Europeans are far more aware of the benefits of having women in the workplace rather than at home popping out ankle biters on demand as per the Domostroy doctrine?

 Is it the ease at which birth control is readily available rather than the pot luck method of not getting pregnant in the past?

Is it because many Catholics no longer prefer to cross their fingers as a form of birth control in the hope that there will be no pregnancy when they are no longer able to keep their legs crossed?

 It is surely not a continual drip, drip, drip of emigration from Ukraine as it is so bloody hard just to get a shenegn visa, let alone emigrate.

 Marrying western/foreign men is now extremely passé for many Ukrainian women, so the child baring element is not leaving in droves.

Is it the economic situation?  That would not explain when Ukraine was at the top of an unsustainable bubble in 2006/7 a continued fall in birth rate.

Could it be that under the soviet system when housing was allocated, babies meant your own and bigger place but the removal of this system has caused an automatic reduction in births because finding a big enough apartment for a family is a costly affair?

 Is it that women here are now capable of earning enough money to survive without a man given the opportunities now available to them that were missing some 40 years ago?

 Is it the divorce rate almost matching the marriage rate stopping the ladies having children?

 Are there regions in Ukraine bucking the trend?  If so, where and why?

 Should Ukraine be more aggressive in attracting immigrants to combat the demographic trend?

 Is it just because there is an elderly population?  (Hardly likely given the large amount of young people pushing the lollipop guild around in prams in Odessa)

Come on Statistics Committee……what is behind the numbers?