The plight of refugees

One of the poorest countries in Europe has taken in tens of thousands of Ukrainian refugees. That support, and fear of further Russian aggression, have brought the tiny southeast European nation international attention.

Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said nationality would not play a role in Germany's decision to host refugees fleeing from Ukraine. More than a million people have fled Ukraine into neighboring European countries.

Russian airstrikes target a military base near Poland's border with Ukraine in what many papers see as Russia's direct threat to the US-led NATO alliance. Also, Russia asks China for economic and military assistance as Beijing faces pressure to clarify where it stands in the war in Ukraine. Finally, a British minister suggests seizing oligarch's homes to rehouse Ukrainian refugees and American footballer Tom Brady is “unretiring”!

The number of Ukrainians fleeing the war keeps climbing. Within a few days, volunteers in the border cities of Frankfurt (Oder) in Germany and Slubice in Poland have put together a large support network for refugees.

Poland is allowing millions of Ukrainians fleeing the war access to the labor market and to health and social benefits. Polish officials are struggling to register and help all the people arriving in the country.

Thousands of Ukrainian refugees have entered Greece, where they enjoy international protection. For non-Ukrainian refugees, however, the situation remains tense and frustrating.

Millions of people are fleeing the war in Ukraine. But cats, dogs and even bears are also arriving in Germany as refugees. Part of their welcome package: a rabies shot.

Moldova is one of the poorest countries in Europe, but is taking in the most Ukrainian refugees per capita. Berlin hosted a conference to support the country with an influx of refugees fleeing the war in Ukraine.

German leaders have agreed on a package helping federal states accommodate and integrate Ukrainian refugees. This includes access to job centers and language courses.

Fleeing war means leaving one's home and taking only the bare minimum of belongings; leaving one's community, school or workplace and often embarking on a dangerous journey to get to safety. The world's nearly 30 million refugees have gone through these ordeals, which often create both short and long-term trauma. And yet, psychological assistance is often overlooked. Zarlasht Halaimzai, who was once a refugee herself, has founded Amna, an organisation that provides non-clinical, psychosocial support to the forcibly displaced. She joined us for Perspective.

German leaders recently agreed on a €2 billion package helping states accommodate and integrate Ukrainian refugees fleeing Russia's war. But money is not the only problem.

More than 300,000 Ukrainians have arrived in Germany, many with no protection against COVID-19. Germany's local and regional authorities are trying to get in touch with these people to persuade them that vaccination will boost their chances.