Nation Update: UN-recognised refugee says he is living in limbo in Barbados

Added: 2026-06-02

[00:00:01]So, my name is Kirill Makarov.

[00:00:04]Um, I'm 31 years old.

[00:00:08]Um, I came to Barbados in October 2024 uh from Mexico after bouncing between several countries trying to, you know, establish uh some legal status in one of those countries.

[00:00:23]And I claimed asylum in October 2024 uh with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.

[00:00:30]Uh I have been recognized as a refugee in uh April 2025.

[00:00:35]Um, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees uh has not been providing assistance to me any assistance whatsoever.

[00:00:43]And the Ministry of Foreign Affairs tried to step in and well, have this situation sorted.

[00:00:50]But um, eventually nothing came to fruition. I was struggling financially and I had to enter the homeless shelter.

[00:00:59]And there had some problems during my stay in the homeless shelter.

[00:01:03]>> Okay, so what is your status now? Where are you living?

[00:01:07]>> So, I'm living technically in a bush abandoned building issue situation. So, I'm not going back to the shelter. I'm not looking, you know, forward to going back to the shelter whatsoever because all what happened there makes it impossible to return just because it's a matter of dignity.

[00:01:25]>> So, at this point, what do you want the Barbados government to do for you?

[00:01:30]>> So, I would be happy with several possible outcomes.

[00:01:35]So, one of them, the most obvious, probably the easiest thing for me is to give me some temporary regular status that would allow me to work and, you know, have some rights. That would be the easiest, but uh that would possibly face some, you know, opposition.

[00:01:53]Uh another option would be for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to constantly communicate with women with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to move me elsewhere or provide some temporary support.

[00:02:05]Uh tactical support. But I don't suppose I mean so um or move me overseas.

[00:02:13]Not to Russia.

[00:02:15]So another option would be to organize a deportation through a country where I could claim asylum and I would be able to start from zero from scratch uh and claim a lodging new asylum claim against Russia on my way back.

[00:02:32]And uh see if you know the legal system would be more favorable.

[00:02:37]Okay.

[00:02:37]Those are the only options.

[00:02:40]>> And where are you getting your meals right now?

[00:02:42]>> So uh most of the meals I'm getting are from the bins that you know many bins that are close to food markets.

[00:02:52]Uh vegetables like tomatoes, sweet potatoes, cucumbers, mangoes.

[00:02:58]Um they would be my primary source of nutrition, but I also take some food that is served for the homeless people, but I try to avoid it due to stomach problems.

[00:03:10]>> So have you been able to access health care?

[00:03:13]>> Uh for the most part, but I have to pay for all the prescribed medications.

[00:03:36]>> [music]