Correspondent in Brussels
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LIVE - War in Ukraine: the Russians continue their offensive, the Ukrainian army resists
There is a commotion in Europe when 368,000 Ukrainians fleeing the war have already, according to the UN, joined the EU and where endless queues have formed at the borders of certain Member States.
According to an internal Commission document, the wait varies between nine and seventy hours at the border posts of Poland, a country where 200,000 Ukrainians had already found refuge on Sunday, at midday.
On the Slovak side, it takes seven hours to cross the border.
Five emergency camps were to be built over the weekend on the borders of this Member State.
Three other countries, neighbors of Ukraine, have seen a number of refugees arrive in the past four days: Hungary, Romania and Moldova, which is not a member of the EU.
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Europeans see a migratory crisis looming at the gates of Europe and a humanitarian disaster in Ukraine.
"I think we have to prepare for millions"
of arrivals, said Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson.
“The number currently expected of displaced Ukrainians is more than 7 million,”
worried the commissioner, Janez Lenarcic, in charge of crises, speaking of
“rough estimates”.
At France's request, EU interior ministers met in Brussels on Sunday.
In particular, they discussed the status that could be granted to Ukrainian refugees.
It is
"first"
to welcome them
"as best as possible in Poland and in neighboring countries (…) and then to see how, in Europe, we can provide them with this protection"
provided for in the framework of a directive of 2001, indicated on his arrival Gérald Darmanin.
This device could be activated on Thursday during a new meeting of EU interior ministers.
It would provide protection to refugees for one year, renewable for up to three years.
Faced with the reluctance of some Member States, the French minister said he was going to take his phone.
European mechanism
For the time being, the urgency is to help the countries
“of first arrivals”
.
The crisis management system will be activated within the Board.
At the same time, aid will be provided to these countries within the framework of civil protection and humanitarian aid mechanisms.
Commissioner Johansson had to go urgently to the Romanian and Slovak borders to assess the needs.
The Europeans also discussed support for the Ukrainian population.
So far, 18 Member States have volunteered and provided assistance under the European Civil Protection Mechanism.
"We need more because the needs are exploding,"
worries Janez Lenarcic.
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War in Ukraine: Poland begins to welcome refugees fleeing the fighting
The question of the distribution of migrants between the Member States "in the front line" and the others is not formally raised.
She will come later.
Many countries, including Germany and France, have already indicated that they are ready to welcome Ukrainians.
According to Commissioner Johansson, these go primarily to countries where there are large Ukrainian communities, in particular Germany, Portugal and the Czech Republic.
Many will therefore choose to stay in Poland, where around one and a half million Ukrainians already live.
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