1 of 3Photo: Shows Kryeziu / AP
The UN has not seen a major wave of refugees in Europe since World War II. They fear millions will flee Ukraine.
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UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi is in Norway on Tuesday. He has been on a tour of Europe in connection with the refugee situation.
Nearly two million people have fled Ukraine since Russia invaded the country. The UN expects millions to flee if the war does not stop.
“We are facing the fastest growing refugee crisis in Europe since World War II,” Grandi said at a news conference.
– I think we will reach two million refugees today, or at the latest tomorrow. It does not stop, he says.
He says that hundreds of thousands cross the border into Poland every day. Most of them are women and children.
– The challenge is enormous, says Grandi.
Those who have fled now are people who have managed to get out on their own. There are people who have resources and contacts in other countries.
– If the war continues, God forbid, we will start to see refugees who have no contacts or resources, Grandi says.
Grandi says that the countries that receive refugees are able to handle the number now. But he says that more people are approaching the limit of what they can do.
700 Ukrainian asylum seekers in Norway
The Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI) has registered around 700 Ukrainian asylum seekers in Norway. But the number may be higher.
– We must assume that there may be a number more, without us being able to say anything about the extent of it, which is with networks in Norway, says UDI director Frode Forfang at a press conference on Monday.
The UDI is now working to increase the capacity of the reception system that receives the refugees.
Protection of Ukrainian refugees
27 EU countries agree to introduce temporary, collective protection for the Ukrainian population.
Such a scheme means that Ukrainian citizens receive temporary residence for up to one year, without individual assessment.
More Norwegians will travel to Poland to bring refugees to safety in Norway. But for now, Ukrainians can only travel visa-free to Norway, if they have a biometric passport.
UDI has warned that transporting people without proper documents counts as human trafficking. This can be punishable by a fine or imprisonment for up to three years.
It is planned that several thousand Ukrainians will come to Norway.
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