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Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has caused a mass exodus of Ukrainian citizens to neighboring countries to avoid falling under the crossfire. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), nearly 2 million people have left the country just 12 days into the conflict. For UNHCR it would be the fastest growing refugee crisis in Europe since the Second World War.
According to figures from UNHCR and Statista, Poland is the country that has received the most refugees from Ukraine with an official figure of 649,903 people, although there is talk of more than a million refugees, since many of them have dual citizenship and do not enter Poland with a Ukrainian passport, hence the differences in figures.
Hungary follows with 144,738; Moldova, which has received 103,254; Slovakia with 90,329; Romania, which has so far received 57,152 refugees; Russia has received 53,300 people who have arrived because they have relatives there or dual citizenship; Belarus follows with 374 and another 110,876 have left for other EU countries.
According to the UN, Europe should prepare to receive between 4 and 5 million refugees from Ukraine. One issue worries the European Union, as reiterated by Joseph Borell, the EU’s high representative for foreign affairs and security policy.
“We must take a more political view of our aid to ensure that the international community first of all condemns Russian actions, builds a coalition to help Ukrainian refugees and supports Ukrainians, both those still in the camp battle as well as those who escaped to save their lives, whom we must welcome,” said Borrell.
Meanwhile, in a second dialogue table between the parties involved, the creation of humanitarian corridors was approved that would allow people to be taken to Russian territory. A proposal rejected by the Ukrainian authorities. “This is an unacceptable option for opening humanitarian corridors. Our people will not go to Belarus and then fly to the Russian Federation,” Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk announced.
Is Europe beginning a new chapter of large-scale humanitarian crisis in the framework of the War in Ukraine? How prepared are recipient countries for these humanitarian activities? Why were the doors opened to the Ukrainians in Europe, while in the Mediterranean or on the borders with Belarus or Turkey there are so many restrictions? The refugee crisis in Europe due to the War in Ukraine is the topic that we address in this edition of El Debate together with our guests:
– Fernando Henríquez, an Ecuadorian living in the city of Lviv, in western Ukraine, provides support there in different shelters and helps those who want to leave the country.
– Elena Muñoz, head of the legal service of the Spanish Commission for Aid to Refugees (CEAR).
