Ukrainian Refugee Situation
Background: On 24 February, the Russian Federation launched a military offensive against Ukraine. The escalation of conflict has caused civilian casualties and destruction of civilian infrastructure, forcing people to flee their homes seeking safety, protection and assistance. In the first five weeks, more than a quarter of the population of Ukraine have been forced to flee their homes.
Current Status: As of 8 April, more than 4,441,663 refugees have fled Ukraine, making it the fastest growing refugee crisis since World War II. A further 7.1 million people have been displaced internally within Ukraine. Some 13 million people are estimated to be stranded in affected areas or unable to leave due to heightened security risks, destruction of bridges and roads, as well as lack of resources or information on where to find safety and accommodation.
I will focus on the refugees. As expected, the neighboring countries have felt the impact the most. Poland by far has taken in the largest number of refugees, with 2,564,994 or 58%
| Country | # of Refugees | % |
| Poland | 2,564,994 | 58% |
| Romania | 678,081 | 15% |
| Hungary | 413,888 | 9% |
| Republic of Moldova | 406,611 | 9% |
| Russian Federation | 389,845 | 9% |
| Slovakia | 310,989 | 7% |
All others are less than 1%.
Ireland has taken in more than 20,000 Ukrainian refugees. It could be up to 30,000 by Easter and as high as 40,000 by the end of April. Ireland has an open-door policy for the refugees.
Whereas, the United States does not. In March the Biden administration said that the United States would accept up to 100,000 Ukrainian Refugees. But so far, the government has not detailed how it will receive them. Because of this many are flying to Mexico as they’ve discovered this is the quickest way to ultimately enter the U.S. It is estimated that 180 Ukrainian refuges are entering the United States on a daily basis.
