EU plans to stay for three years
Over 400,000 people fled Ukraine
02/28/2022 1:27 p.m
The number of people displaced from Ukraine continues to rise: according to the UN refugee agency UNHCR, 422,000 people have already left the country. It remains unclear how many internally displaced persons are in Ukraine. The EU is preparing to grant displaced persons a three-year right to stay.
According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), 422,000 people have fled Ukraine to neighboring countries since Thursday. UNHCR spokesman Chris Melzer said a six-figure number of people were displaced within Ukraine as a result of the Russian invasion. An exact estimate of the number of internally displaced persons is currently not possible. The information relates to the status of Sunday evening.
So far, most of the refugees have made their way to Poland. According to the Polish border guard, there have been more than 281,000 since the beginning of the war. A spokeswoman said almost 100,000 refugees crossed the border on Sunday alone. According to UNHCR, the other important target countries are Romania, Moldova, Hungary and Slovakia.
Meanwhile, the European Union is preparing to grant war refugees from Ukraine the right to stay for up to three years. “It is our duty to take in those who are fleeing the war,” French interior minister Gerald Darmanin told France 2 television grant.
According to EU Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson, most ministers have expressed their support for the move. Only a few questioned whether now was the right time or whether it was better to wait a little longer. Ministers will meet again on Thursday to agree on the details.
According to official figures, at least 300,000 Ukrainian refugees have come to the EU so far. But the EU is preparing for millions more. She refers to United Nations estimates that four million Ukrainians will flee the country. Since men of military age are not allowed to leave Ukraine, women and children in particular arrive at the border in eastern Poland, Slovakia and Hungary, and northern and north-eastern Romania.