ZA threatening wave of refugees is one of the challenges for which the countries of Central Europe are preparing in the event of a broad attack by Russia on Ukraine. Depending on the scenario, hundreds of thousands or even millions of refugees are expected. “We are very vigilant and prepared for all possible scenarios,” said Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD) on Monday in Vienna, where she combined an inaugural visit to Austrian Interior Minister Gerhard Karner with the opening of a Balkan refugee conference.
While still hoping that “the worst” can be averted, they are preparing to provide “shelter and humanitarian assistance.” However, Germany sees the focus on humanitarian aid in countries bordering Ukraine: “We are preparing above all for the neighboring countries to be supported. This is the first scenario.”
The EU has been working on contingency plans with member states for several weeks. That’s what EU Interior Commissioner Ylva Johansson said at the weekend during the security conference in Munich. She also referred in particular to the countries that border directly on Ukraine, which has around 41 million inhabitants. The basis for this are scenarios based on information from the United Nations and on experiences after the Russian action against Ukraine in 2014. In the event of an attack only in the east, it is expected that most of the people fleeing will first seek protection in the western part of Ukraine. They would then need support there, Johansson said.
For its part, Ukraine has asked EU Member States for help through the Civil Protection Mechanism. There is a “risk of major social emergencies of varying complexity,” it says in the letter, which contains a list of needed goods. Five EU countries have already responded. France is providing the country with 15 large tents, 300 family tents, sleeping bags, hygiene kits and 36 mobile medical containers – equipment that is needed to care for refugees.
Poland has the most refugees to expect
Johansson named Poland, which borders directly on Ukraine, as the most important flight destination, but also Italy, Germany and France. The Commission explains that many Ukrainians already lived in these countries – they are always contact points. Commission Vice-President Margaritis Schinas spoke last week of estimates of “between 20,000 and more than a million refugees”. The smaller value results from the number of EU citizens living in Ukraine; Of course, they are not refugees in the legal sense. The larger value corresponds to American estimates. According to media reports, the government in Washington has explained to members of Congress that one to five million refugees can be expected in the event of a Russian invasion.
Poland, whose citizens feel a lot of sympathy for the threatened Ukraine, sees it as a particular duty. On Friday, the government approved the program “Aid to Ukraine”. Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki had set up interdepartmental working groups to take in refugees and wounded people from Ukraine, his chancellery announced at the weekend. “In the event of a Russian attack, we want to mitigate its effects,” said the head of government. The necessary infrastructure is being prepared in eastern Poland, but the interior of the country is also being included.
#Ukraine #crisis #Europe #prepares #wave #refugees