contents
The EU ministers of the states in the Schengen area have agreed on an action plan. Switzerland participates.
The Ukrainian Minister of the Interior informed the European colleagues first-hand about the refugee situation. That was moving, said Federal Councilor Karin Keller-Sutter, who represented Switzerland on the Council. «Half of the Ukrainian children are on the run. Half of Ukrainian children.”
Women, men and their children from Ukraine are allowed to enter the EU freely. You can apply for permanent protection in any country. 3.8 million people have fled to Europe so far. According to EU Commissioner Ylva Johansson, the EU Commission expects several million people from Ukraine to seek protection in the EU in the coming weeks.
So far, all war refugees have been registered by national contact points. A European register should be available in a few days so that authorities can know where people seeking protection are. In this way, double registrations can be avoided if refugees travel from one EU country to another, according to Ylva Johansson.
Majority rejects fixed distribution key
The aim is, of course, an equal distribution of all refugees across the EU countries. The EU states do not want to know anything about a fixed distribution key. The majority of people still want to stay in the neighboring countries of Ukraine, especially in Poland.
Another EU coordination measure: A burden index is intended to create transparency as to which countries are exposed to particular burdens. The size of a country and the presence of people seeking protection from other countries are decisive.
The aim is for EU states to voluntarily support each other in taking in people from Ukraine.