Officials stated Thursday that the EU is anticipated to quickly agree on a protection framework for the one million war refugees fleeing Ukraine, as well as establish a humanitarian hub in Romania.
The European Union’s moves came in tandem with the EU’s tough penalties against Russia, which were implemented in waves over the course of the invasion, which is now in its eighth day.
EU interior ministers attending a Brussels meeting on how to deal with the influx of Ukrainian refugees said they expected political support for a Temporary Protection Mechanism.
The mechanism was created in response to the hostilities in the former Yugoslavia two decades ago, but it was never employed.
The EU executive’s proposal would grant Ukrainian refugees and their family members a residence permit as well as the opportunity to work and study for a year, renewing every six months after that.
Ukrainians with biometric data on their passports now have the ability to visit the EU’s Schengen area for up to three months but not to work.
The legislative document enshrining the temporary protection mechanism for those fleeing the war in Ukraine might be enacted “in the coming days,” according to French Interior Minister Gerard Darmanin, if a majority of EU members agree, as predicted.
Nancy Faeser, his German counterpart, referred to it as a “paradigm shift” for the European Union, which has long fought to overhaul its refugee policies.
Similarly, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen tweeted that the EU was establishing a “humanitarian centre” in Romania, one of four EU countries bordering Ukraine.
“Protecting those fleeing (Russian President Vladimir) Putin’s bombs is more than just a humanitarian gesture in a time of conflict. As Europeans, we also have a moral obligation to do so “she stated
