The European Union is preparing to allow Ukrainians fleeing the invasion of their country by Russia to stay and work in the 27-nation bloc for up to three years without first having to apply for asylum.
More than 500,000 Ukrainian refugees have already entered the EU since fighting began Feb. 24, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees said Monday. Millions more are expected to be displaced as the conflict creates a humanitarian crisis on the European continent.
EU members Poland, Slovakia, Romania and Hungary all share borders with Ukraine.
”We have to prepare for millions (to arrive),” EU Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson told reporters after visiting a refugee camp and border crossing in Romania.
As the mass exodus continues, the UNHCR said 281,000 refugees are in Poland, more than 84,500 are in Hungary, roughly 36,400 are in Moldova, about 32,500 are in Romania and 30,000 are in Slovakia.
“We are witnessing what could become the largest humanitarian crisis on our European continent in many, many years,” Janez Lenarcic, the European Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management, said after a meeting of EU ministers.
The EU intends to activate a temporary protection protocol that was initially drawn up for refugees fleeing fighting in the Balkans following the dissolution of Yugoslavia in the 1990s, but was never implemented.
More than 500,000 Ukrainian refugees have already entered the EU since fighting began on February 24, 2022. EPA/LUKASZ GAGULSKI POLAND OUT
European Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson (left) speaks to volunteers from the Emergency Situations Department after visiting a refugee camp. AP Photo/Andreea Alexandru
Ukrainian civilians flee to the Polish border as Russia begins its invasion of Ukraine. Cozzoli/ROPI via ZUMA Press
Refugees on the platform of Lviv railway station are seen waiting for trains to Poland due to Russia’s military invasion of Ukraine. Pavlo Palamarchuk/SOPA Images via ZUMA Press WireIt provides Ukrainians with benefits for up to three years in all EU countries, including a residence permit and access to employment and social welfare.
Long lines of mostly women and children in cars, buses, trains and on foot have been waiting for hours at border crossings.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has ordered men between the ages of 18 and 60 to remain in the country to help repel Russian forces.
A refugee fleeing from Ukraine stands with her dog at Nyugati station, after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. REUTERS/Marton Monus
According to the UNHCR, 281,000 refugees are in Poland, more than 84,500 are in Hungary, roughly 36,400 are in Moldova. REUTERS/Marton Monus
Ukrainian refugees cry as they reunite at the Medyka border crossing in Poland on February 26, 2022. AP Photo/Visar Kryeziu
According to the new European Union rules, refugees are allowed to work and live in certain counties without having to apply for asylum. REUTERS/Marton MonusAt the border crossing at Przemysl, Poland, on Monday, refugees fought to stay warm in the near-freezing temperatures as they lined up on the platform.
Natalia Pivniuk, a woman from Lviv in western Ukraine, described a chaotic and dangerous scene as refugees prepared to board trains to carry them to Poland.
“People are under the stress, people are distorted and when people are scared, they become egoist and forget about everything,” she told the Associated Press. “People are traumatized because they were on that train.”
The temporary protection protocol was initially drawn up for refugees fleeing fighting in the Balkans following the dissolution of Yugoslavia but was never enacted. REUTERS/Kai PfaffenbachWith Post wires
