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Over two million Ukrainians seek refuge in neighboring European states: UN

Tuesday, 08 March 2022 5:12 PM [ Last Update: Tuesday, 08 March 2022 5:16 PM ]

People stand with their baggage as they wait to board buses transporting them further into Poland or elsewhere, at a temporary shelter for refugees located in a former shopping center between the Ukrainian border and the Polish city of Przemysl, in Poland, on March 8, 2022. (Photo by AFP)

The head of the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) has announced that the number of people fleeing the Russian military offensive in Ukraine has now reached two million.

Filippo Grandi, the head of the UNHCR, said on Tuesday that the number of the refugees who fled Ukraine reached the two million mark.

“Today the outflow of refugees from Ukraine reaches two million people. Two million,” he wrote on Twitter.

Grandi added that a second wave of refugees from Ukraine was likely to be more vulnerable than the first wave.

The UNHCR said on its website later on Tuesday that a total of 2,011,312 people had crossed Ukraine’s borders into Central Europe since February 24.The UNHCR had on Monday put the number of the refugees at more than 1.7 million.

It represents the fastest-growing refugee crisis in Europe since World War II.

Separately, Grandi told reporters at a press conference in Oslo that more solidarity was needed to tackle the ongoing refugee crisis.

“That will be a more complex situation to manage for European countries going forward,” he said, adding that “even more solidarity” will be needed in Europe and beyond.

Grandi made the remarks after visiting Moldova, Poland, and Romania, all of which have been receiving refugees pouring across the border from Ukraine.

Several European countries, including Britain, have vowed to accept the refugees with open arms.

But Ukrainian citizens attempting to flee the crisis-stricken country have expressed utter frustration and anger over bureaucratic hassles and technical difficulties involved in securing a UK visa.The number of Ukrainian refugees issued visas to the UK stands at just 300, out of 17,700 applications.

'Shockingly low' : Just 300 Ukraine refugees get UK visas via new scheme

The number of Ukrainian refugees issued visas to come to the UK stands at just 300 among 17700 applications, despite British authorities vowing to accept them with open arms.

The UK Home Office said on Monday that more than half of the refugees had not yet completed their application.

Russia said on Tuesday that it was observing a temporary ceasefire in several Ukrainian cities to allow civilian evacuations from conflict zones. But Ukraine says Russia is violating earlier agreements on humanitarian corridors, and accused Moscow of shelling the evacuees.

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