“One year after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, more than 13 million people are still uprooted from their homes” including nearly 8 million refugees across Europe and more than 5 million people who have been displaced within Ukraine, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said in a statement on 23 February, on the eve of the first anniversary of the war in Ukraine.
The prospects for the return of these refugees in Europe or displaced people in Ukraine in the near future are “clouded by continuing hostilities, insecurity and destruction in their home regions”, added UNHCR, which released two reports interviewing 2,900 refugees and internally displaced people and called on member states to continue their support for these populations.
“The vast majority of refugees and internally displaced people surveyed - 77 and 79% respectively - want to return home one day, but only 12% of refugees and internally displaced people plan to do so in the next 3 months”, UNHCR said.
The main obstacles are security problems in their home areas and access to and availability of basic services - including electricity, water and health care, employment opportunities and adequate housing.
Refugees who have expressed their intention to return to Ukraine in the next 3 months are mainly elderly, separated from their families or facing problems of inclusion in the host countries.
On the issue of integration of refugees in member countries, UNHCR notes positive developments; for example, 45% of respondents were in rented accommodation, compared to 27% in a previous survey.
The number of people receiving income from employment has also increased, from 37% to 46%. However, a significant proportion of refugees remain unemployed.
Member States have “managed” refugee arrivals “well”
In Athens, EU Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson praised the way member states handled the arrival of Ukrainians in the aftermath of 24 February, including “a million overnight” alongside a conference on external borders.
While some countries are experiencing “more challenges than others” in dealing with these refugees, of whom there are currently 4 million in the EU under temporary protection, the situation has been “well managed” overall, even better than in 2015-2016.
The Commissioner also wanted to warn Member States as the revised Schengen Information System (SIS) comes into force in March.
“Half of the people entering the EU with a visa are not checked on the basis of the SIS, so many Russians may not be checked”, she said.
Link to UNHCR reports: https://aeur.eu/f/5i1 ; https://aeur.eu/f/5i2 (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)