Russian invasion has forced 10M Ukrainians to leave their home

(Bloomberg) Russia's increasingly brutal attacks on Ukraine have forced 10 million people — nearly a quarter of the country's population — to leave their homes, according to the United Nations, and an increasing number of them are expected to head to Western Europe.

Mykhailo Podolyak, chief of staff of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, estimated the number of displaced persons as high as 12 million. While most have remained in Ukraine, around 3.4 million — mainly women, children and the elderly — have sought refuge in other countries, including more than 2 million people in Poland, according to UN data.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine is nearing a month and attacks on civilian targets show no sign of abating, increasing the risk that more people will try to flee. The besieged city of Mariupol, in the south of the country, has been heavily shelled, and Ukraine has accused Russian forces of blocking humanitarian aid.

As the war progresses, more people are likely to leave temporary shelters near the border. Most of the 500,000 people who crossed into Romania have left, and only about 80,000 of them remain in the country.

Germany is now preparing for the arrival of up to 1 million refugees, nearly triple its previous expectation of 340,000 people, Bild said in a report. As of Monday, more than 225,000 Ukrainian refugees had arrived in Germany, according to the Ministry of the Interior. On Monday, a ministry spokesman declined to confirm the figure.

If the number of people approaches 1 million in Germany, I would recall the refugee crisis of 2015, triggered by a civil war in Syria, in which Russia provided military support to the Government. But there would be decisive differences.

Public support for Ukraine is widespread in Europe, driven by compassion due to attacks and geographical and cultural proximity. Countries such as Hungary and Poland, which rejected mainly Muslim refugees from Syria, have opened doors to their Ukrainian neighbors.

The reaction makes it difficult for Russian President Vladimir Putin to use refugees as a weapon. After the political upheaval caused by the Syrian crisis, the Kremlin allies have played with the issue.

Last year, Germany accused Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko of using immigrants to retaliate against EU sanctions by directing people from Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Iran, and Afghanistan to its border with Poland and then Germany.

Instead of fearing the entry of Ukrainian refugees, there is concern for their welfare and protection. Hundreds of volunteers help coordinate food and accommodation for the thousands of people who arrive daily from Ukraine to cities such as Berlin, Budapest, Warsaw and Bucharest.

At what used to be Berlin-Tegel Airport, up to 3,000 people from Ukraine can stay up to three nights and a registration centre was set up to process asylum applications for 10,000 people a day. Once registered, they are distributed throughout Germany to share the burden.

The EU is considering the creation of a talent base to help connect employers with Ukrainians looking for work, European Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson said Monday in Tallinn, Estonia.

Europe's largest economy has also increased police presence at train stations to protect Ukrainians from sexual assault or false housing offers, according to German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser.

“No one should abuse the suffering of people who fled Putin's bombings,” he said on Twitter. “Anyone who tries to take advantage of the plight of refugees should know that we will react to the fullest extent of the law.”

Original Note:

Russia's War Drives 10 Million Ukrainians From Their Homes (1)

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