![]() ![]() Throughout Europe, the public and politicians are mobilizing to show solidarity and support for those fleeing Ukraine Ukrainian refugees can travel for 90 days visa-free throughout EU countries, and many have been moving on from neighbouring countries to join family and friends in other EU countries. The EU is also proposing to simplify border controls and entry conditions for people fleeing Ukraine. Under this scheme, refugees from Ukraine would be offered up to three years temporary protection in EU countries, without having to apply for asylum, with rights to a residence permit and access to education, housing, and the labour market. The EU is proposing to reactivate the Temporary Protection Directive, introduced in the 1990s to manage large-scale refugee movements during the Balkans crisis. Slovakia and Poland have said that refugees fleeing the war in Ukraine will be allowed to enter their countries even without passports, or other valid travel documents other EU countries, such as Ireland, have announced the immediate lifting of visa requirements for people coming from Ukraine.Īcross Europe, free public transport and phone communication is being provided for Ukrainian refugees. Political leaders have said publicly that refugees from Ukraine are welcome and countries have been preparing to receive refugees on their borders with teams of volunteers handing out food, water, clothing, and medicines. The differences also help explain why some of those fleeing Ukraine-in particular, nationals from Africa, Asia, and the Middle East-are not getting the same generous treatment as the citizens of Ukraine.Īs of this writing, Ukraine's neighbours have responded with an outpouring of public and political support for the refugees. But the starkly different responses-to date-that Europe has directed at these two situations provide a cautionary lesson for those hoping for a more humane, generous Europe. While the EU calls this the largest humanitarian crisis that Europe has witnessed in "many, many years," it is important to remember that it was not so long ago that the continent faced another critical humanitarian challenge, the 2015 refugee "crisis" spurred by the conflict in Syria. ![]() Regardless which number is correct, it is now abundantly clear that an unprecedented refugee challenge is unfolding in Europe. The European Union (EU) puts this number higher, estimating that there may eventually be seven million refugees. The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has predicted that as many as four million people could flee the country in the coming weeks. By 2 March, only seven days into the war, 874,000 people were estimated to have fled to neighbouring countries. Russia's invasion of Ukraine has triggered one of the largest and fastest refugee movements that Europe has witnessed since the end of World War II. The reasons for this difference point to an intractable challenge in Europe's ability to embrace the international refugee protection regime. Not so today in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. During the 2015 refugee "crisis," the EU called for detaining arriving refugees for up to 18 months. ![]()
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