Ukrainian refugee flows ‘maybe not a crisis’: Commissioner Johansson

The historic movement of refugees coming into Europe after fleeing the conflict in Ukraine might not even be a disaster, in keeping with the EU Commissioner in command of migration.

Ylva Johansson, the European Commissioner for House Affairs, was chatting with Euronews in regards to the Short-term Safety Directive, which was activated for the primary time ever inside days of Russia launching its full-scale invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022. It permits Ukrainians escaping Russia’s aggression to reside within the bloc till March 2024. 

Its success, Johansson mentioned, means the movement of as many as 4 million Ukrainian refugees coming into Europe was not essentially a disaster.

“I believe it [Temporary Protection Directive] has confirmed that it really works,” she mentioned.

“I imply, simply think about, in the event you examine 2015, for instance, individuals had been fleeing the conflict in Syria and the EU didn’t activate the Short-term Safety Directive that existed already then, however it was not activated and that left us additionally in a state of affairs the place we had been very a lot divided on the difficulty of migration and refugees and asylum, and lots of asylum techniques had been actually clogged up with lots of asylum functions. There have been lengthy ready occasions. 

“Now, in fact, there are challenges. I cannot deny that, however I believe we’re coping with this refugee disaster in a a lot, significantly better method. Possibly it’s not even a disaster, although it’s the largest variety of refugees for the reason that Second World Struggle.

She added that regardless of many issues nonetheless current for Ukrainian individuals in Europe, reminiscent of with housing and employment, the Short-term Safety Directive needs to be thought-about a hit.

“Now we have lots of challenges. I imply, we’re internet hosting 4 million Ukrainian refugees. That is actually an enormous, large problem, in fact, for the entire of Europe and particularly for these member states which might be most affected, just like the Czech Republic, Estonia, Poland, but additionally Germany,” she advised Euronews.

“However I believe actually to have a perspective, if anyone had requested me one 12 months in the past earlier than the conflict broke out, will you have the ability to handle 4 million new refugees in addition to we’ve carried out this, I believe only a few would have been answered positively, with none hesitation. So, taking into consideration the massive challenges, I believe that the achievements are actually nice.”

Marta Jaroszewicz from the Centre of Migration Analysis in Warsaw mentioned that Brussels should have a look at the difficulty with an extended view.

“Migrants are kind of tailored (to life in Europe), proper, however now, there is a matter of their entry to labour market, large issues of residences,” Jaroszewicz advised Euronews.

“That is the time that we have to consider a extra long-term technique.”