Brussels (Times Of Ocean)- The EU’s Commissioner for Home Affairs, Ylva Johansson, said on Monday that millions more Ukrainian refugees may seek protection in the EU.
Johansson told a news conference that even if the number of refugees arriving in the EU decreased from 200,000 people daily to 40,000 people per day, the EU must “develop contingency plans”.
“We don’t know what will happen tomorrow, what will be the next step from (Russian President Vladimir) Putin. We don’t know, and we have to be prepared for many more millions that might need to flee from Ukraine,” Johansson noted.
In their meeting, EU interior ministers approved a 10-point plan about “operational needs for the coming days and weeks” in order to accommodate Ukrainian refugees, she said.
All member states will have access to a registration platform with information about Ukrainian refugees who have been granted temporary protection by the bloc.
The EU will also organize transport and information hubs in different countries to assist refugees who wish to continue their journey to another EU state.
Additionally, the European Commission will develop guidelines for border countries as well as an index mapping the reception capacity of each country.
In addition to relocating Moldovan refugees directly, the bloc will work with partners such as Canada, the US, and the UK to build pathways for refugees seeking protection in these countries.
Under the temporary protection directive, Ukrainian nationals, their family members, and residents of Ukraine are entitled to protection in the EU for at least a year with the possibility of an extension of two years.
The protection scheme guarantees the rights to work, residency, education, social welfare, and medical assistance. Brussels Unravel News