Friday 19 / April / 2024
Brussels: European Union interior ministers are meeting in Brussels on Monday to discuss a joint refugee policy as millions flee Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
According to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), some 3.8 million people have fled as Russian forces attack civilian targets and hit cities like Mariupol with constant shelling.
Over 2 million refugees have arrived in neighboring Poland, with hundreds of thousands seeking refuge in fellow EU member states Romania, Hungary, and Slovakia.
Polish officials have warned that their asylum system could buckle under the pressure of so many arrivals in such a short time.
The interior ministers are set to talk about a joint approach to refugee resettlement issues, as well as creating a fund to support those fleeing the conflict.
A common approach marks a significant shift to how the bloc approaches a refugee influx. In 2015, with millions arriving from Syria and Iraq, schemes to evenly spread out refugee resettlement were bitterly contested by several member states, and processes for dealing with new arrivals varied widely across Europe.
