2.8 Million Ukrainian Refugees, Where Did They Go... UK Announces Support for Housing Providers

Movement to neighboring countries such as Poland, Hungary, and Romania

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyunjung] Since Russia's invasion last month, more than 2.8 million Ukrainian refugees have moved to neighboring countries such as Poland, Hungary, and Romania. Some countries, including the United Kingdom, have begun preparing measures such as providing financial support to locals who help accommodate refugees.

On the 14th (local time), US CNN cited a report from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) tracking how many refugees have fled to which countries. According to the report, as of the previous day, more than 1.7 million people had left Ukraine and headed to neighboring Poland. However, the number of Ukrainians or residents of Ukraine seeking temporary shelter in Poland is small, and many refugees are known to be moving to other European countries to escape the conflict.

The German Ministry of the Interior stated that the number of refugees who crossed into Poland includes most of the nearly 150,000 who arrived in Germany. However, CNN reported that since there are no border checkpoints between Poland and Germany, the actual number of incoming refugees could be much higher.

On the same day, Hungary reported that 255,291 refugees arrived from Ukraine, with 2,212 officially applying for asylum, according to the Hungarian Immigration Office. According to Raed Arafat, Secretary of State at the Romanian Ministry of the Interior, about 80,000 Ukrainians are staying in neighboring Romania. Romanian border police reported that the number of Ukrainian refugees entering Romania has significantly decreased, with daily arrivals dropping by more than 50% compared to the previous week.

Slovakia has admitted 205,000 refugees, and approximately 101,000 are staying in Moldova. The Lithuanian Ministry of the Interior also reported that 12,039 people entered from Ukraine on the same day.

In addition, refugees have arrived and are staying or moving on to other countries such as Belgium, Ireland, Denmark, France, and Austria.

Meanwhile, the UK government has proposed providing $467 (about 580,000 KRW) per month to hosts offering accommodation to refugees. Sponsors must provide lodging to refugees for at least six months.

UK Secretary of State Michael Gove stated, "If we are to provide housing for all Ukrainian nationals, there will be no limit to the number of Ukrainians who can benefit." He added, "We will offer unrestricted access to healthcare, jobs, and more," emphasizing, "The UK has a long and proud history of supporting the most vulnerable during the darkest times."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.