site.btaBalkan Countries: Final Destination or Transit Stop for Ukrainian Refugees

Russia’s attack on Ukraine on February 24 started a new war in Europe, triggering a wave of refugees that is growing by the day.

In the space of ten days, 1.5 million Ukrainians fled the war to neighbouring countries, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees said on Sunday. “This is now the fastest growing refugee crisis since World War II. In the coming days millions more lives will be uprooted, unless there is an immediate end to this senseless conflict,” the UNHCR tweeted. On Monday, the refugees already numbered 1.7 million.

The majority of refugees have gone to neighbouring Poland, Hungary, Romania, Slovakia and other European Union countries, as well as to Moldova and Russia. Some seek refuge in Western Europe, and others in the Balkan countries.

Romania

Since the very first night of the war, ever more refugees have been crossing the border, most of them transiting the country en route to other destinations in Europe.

Between the onset of the crisis and midnight on March 6, 261,445 Ukrainians had entered Romania and 182,312 had left, the Border Police Chief Inspectorate said. The majority crossed the border with Moldova.

Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca said that between 400 and 500 refugees, mostly women and children, are entering Romania every hour, but it is prepared to handle as many as 2,000. On Monday, a train from Iasi (Northeastern Romania) brought 900 refugees who had crossed the Moldovan border to Bucharest.

So far, 2,849 Ukrainians have sought asylum in Romania, the Interior Ministry said on Sunday. Asylum centres are currently 66.1 per cent full, it added.

Interior Minister Lucian Bode said Romania had organized 13 mobile refugee camps for 3,511 persons in the border area where 1,626 are currently accommodated.

Last month, the authorities said Romania could accept up to 500,000 Ukrainian refugees.

On Monday, the Government announced additional measures in support of Ukrainian refugees, including education for all Ukrainian children, as well as fiscal measures to promote humanitarian action.

Romania has sent several humanitarian convoys to Ukraine, and President Klaus Iohannis told a joint news conference with EC President Ursula von der Leyen that his country could become a “humanitarian hub” for the delivery and distribution of international donations for Ukraine.

Greece

By Monday, 4,649 Ukrainians had arrived in Greece, including 1,431 minors, the ANA-MPA News Agency reported.

In just 24, 869 Ukrainians reached Greece, most of them (757) through the Kulata-Promachonas Checkpoint on the border with Bulgaria.

Greece has kept open its Consulate in Mariupol, where the authorities say some 150,000 ethnic Greeks live and the situation is particularly grave.

Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias said Greece is making all diplomatic efforts to ensure the safety of Greeks in Ukraine. The country has organized three transport convoys to evacuate Greek citizens from Kyiv, Odessa and Mariupol.

Turkey

Over 20,000 Ukrainian refugees have arrived in Turkey so far, Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu said on Sunday. 

Quite a few of the Ukrainians going to Turkey have relatives or friends there, or else are of mixed origin. A large number are Crimean Tartars, who are ethnically related to the Turks. Crimean Tatar leader Mustafa Dzhemilev (Kirimoglu) has been quoted by some media as saying that some 1,000 Crimean Tatars are expecting to be evacuated. 

On Monday, Foreign Minister Davut Cavusoglu said Turkey had evacuated 12,306 citizens from Ukraine since Russia launched a war on its neighbour.

Cavusoglu tweeted that another 372 citizens set off from Ukraine on Monday.

Croatia

Croatia has already taken in over 2,000 refugees from Ukraine and has no plans of stopping, Prime Minister Andrej Pljenkovic said.

On Monday, the Croatian Government decided to offer refugees from Ukraine temporary protection. 

At the beginning of the military conflict, the Civil Protection Directorate said Croatia could accommodate 3,500 refugees from Ukraine, but plans were being made to enable it to handle up to 17,000. 

Slovenia

Experts in various fields are now manning a special hotline, providing information in support of displaced Ukrainians, the Government Office for the Support and Integration of Migrants said. A special e-mail address is available, too. The information and contact numbers are published on the government website in Slovene, English and Ukrainian.

Numerous organizations have launched fundraising campaigns. The Slovenian Rad Cross has just approved the transfer of 10,000 euro from a solidarity fund to Ukraine. 

The first Ukrainian refugees - a group of 68 including 38 children, were put up at the Logatec Centre which has a total capacity for 300. Private individuals also offer to accomodate displaced people from Ukraine.

Last week Slovenian Foreign Minister Anze Logar said that 1.1 million euro's worth of relief aid to Ukraine will be provided through various organizations.

Serbia

Three hundred refugees entered Serbia on February 28, but most went on to Montenegro and Croatia where they own immovable property, the Blic newspaper reported, quoting the UNCR. The first refugees from Ukraine have relatives in Serbia and, therefore, have not sought assistance from the Agency for Refugees, the daily added.

Serbia’s Asylum Protection Centre does not think that the country is prepared to cope with a larger influx of refugees. The Centre can take 600 people, and 200 places are already filled by refugees from Asia and Africa. If refugees arrive from Ukraine, they will most probably be sent to the centres in Southern Serbia which are now half-empty, the Centre's Director said.

The Serbian Red Cross has opened a special fund-raising account for Ukraine, where some 1.0 million dinars were collected in just three days.

Republic of North Macedonia

North Macedonia has taken in 120 evacuees so far, including Ukrainians with their families, Foreign Minister Bujar Osmani said on Monday.

Relief aid is also collected, with a fourth truck expected to leave for Ukraine on Monday.