Refugees from Ukraine do not have to apply for asylum in the EU, the interior ministers decide
MINISTERS OF THE INTERIOR On Thursday, the EU decided for the first time to activate the Temporary Protection Directive to provide rapid and effective protection for people fleeing the attack on President Ukraine. Vladimir Putinis Russia.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has done reported that nearly 1,050,000 people have fled Ukraine since February 24, 2022.
The historic decision means that refugees from a war-torn country will be issued with a one-year residence permit, which will be automatically extended for another year and possibly another year based on an assessment of the situation in Ukraine. The permit gives them not only residence, but also access to education, housing, the labor market and social welfare.
“People coming to Finland are brought to reception services in the same way as asylum seekers. The difference here is that they also have an immediate right to work, the interior minister Krista Mikkonen (green) explained To Helsingin Sanomat.
However, Ukrainians can still apply for asylum through the usual channels of any Member State.
Although the directive was introduced as a means of establishing a minimum standard of temporary protection against the mass migration of people as early as 2001, it has not been introduced before – not even during the refugee crisis of the mid-2010s, which caused widespread controversy. within the bloc for the reception and distribution of refugees.
The decision was made unanimously on Thursday.
Ylva JohanssonThe European Commissioner for Home Affairs said the decision marked a great day for the Union, which has shown exemplary unity and strength throughout the conflict.
“I am proud to be European, I am proud of the solidarity that individual citizens show,” he said. comments. “We should not be naive. Millions and millions of Ukrainian refugees are, of course, a challenge to our societies.
According to the UNHCR, Poland has been a destination for more than half of the people who fled Ukraine. Hungary has received some 133,000 refugees from Ukraine, 98,000 from Moldova, 79,000 from Slovakia and 51,000 from Romania.
Finnish Immigration Service (Migri) on Thursday told me According to YLE, 328 Ukrainians have applied for asylum in Finland since February 24, 143 of them on Wednesday and 85 on Tuesday.
Although EU countries have widely stated their readiness to take in all refugees fleeing the war, non-white refugees have been reported to have been discriminated against, beaten and beaten. in some cases attacked at the Polish border. Polish police, for example, have warned that far-right groups are using social media to spread false reports of crimes committed by people arriving from Ukraine.
Eve GeddieThe head of Amnesty International’s EU office said on Thursday that the decision to launch a temporary protection directive is a reminder that the bloc has long had the means to protect people fleeing war and help those arriving, and that the usual, less hospitable approach is a politically motivated choice.
“The fact that this is happening for the first time, but mainly for displaced Ukrainian citizens, shows that the EU’s approach is full of double standards,” he said. said.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security also said Thursday that Ukrainians in the U.S. on March 1 will be allowed to continue living and working in the country for 18 months.
Aleksi Teivainen – HT