Russia invaded Ukraine and millions of Ukrainian refugees have fled abroad.Figure: Retrieved from Xinhuanet
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has displaced nearly one million Ukrainians, and the United Nations said on the 3rd that more than one million people have crossed the border from Ukraine into neighboring countries. German Interior Minister Fischer said Germany would accept refugees fleeing the war in Ukraine, regardless of their nationality. “We want to save lives, it has nothing to do with passports”.
More than one million people had crossed the border from Ukraine into neighboring countries as of Thursday, and that number will reach 1.5 million on Sunday, according to the United Nations.
Polish and German authorities say some 787,300 people have fled to Poland so far and about 30,000 to Germany.
But the UN report also mentions that non-whites face racism and xenophobia as they try to flee Ukraine.
German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said that the vast majority of those who fled were Ukrainian nationals, but there were also many people from other countries with permanent residency in Ukraine.
Fizer said those fleeing Ukraine would not have to go through a complicated approval process. She also said that the cooperation between European countries for the safety and security of Ukrainians deserves to be written into history.
The European Union agreed on March 3 to approve temporary protection for Ukrainian refugees. The U.S. government also announced temporary protection for Ukrainians living in the United States. Taiwan’s Ministry of the Interior also announced that Ukrainian citizens in Taiwan can apply for an unlimited number of visa extensions.
A Deutsche Welle reporter reported at a checkpoint on the Polish border that after the first wave of refugees fled Ukraine, border congestion has improved, long-term traffic jams have eased, and more refugees have entered neighboring countries.
Poland has opened shopping malls as shelters for refugees, asylum centers in Berlin, Germany, are full, and hotel rooms and churches have been converted into shelters for refugees fleeing Ukraine, the report said.