The countries of the European Union (EU) began this Sunday to organize the reception of hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians fleeing the offensive initiated by Russia, and discussed the possible granting of a temporary protection status.
It is estimated that since the beginning of hostilities about 400,000 Ukrainians have already left their country, mostly in the direction of Poland, while EU member states are now discussing a coordinated response to the challenge.
Meeting in Brussels, the European interior ministers exhibited a “vast majority” in favor of implementing a Temporary Protection Directive, adopted in 2002 but in practice never used.
This initiative contemplates the granting temporary protection to displaced persons from neighboring countries to the EU, and its subsequent distribution among the members of the bloc.
Ukrainians with biometric passports can enter EU territory for up to three months without a visa, but the EU is seeking to define a broader response.
The European Commissioner for the Interior, Ylva Johansson, said that “the time is right” to implement that directive.
“Ensuring protection at European level”
Belgium is one of the countries that promoted its immediate implementation.
Arriving at the meeting in Brussels, the Minister of the Interior of that country, Sammy Mahdi, defended the application of the directive to “ensure protection at European level”. “We are a historic moment for the EU,” she said.
In order to be implemented, the mechanism requires the vote of 15 of the 27 member countries and that they represent at least 65 percent of the bloc’s population.
Johansson said he would prepare a formal proposal to activate the directive, to be presented to a meeting of interior ministers at another meeting scheduled for next Thursday.
The official explained that at the moment the ukrainians entering the European territory find refuge in the houses of friends or relativesand that only a “limited number” of those people make an asylum claim.
Johansson announced that he will travel to the Romanian-Ukrainian border on Monday to verify on the ground the priority needs of the displaced.
The countries of the European Union (EU) began this Sunday to organize the reception of hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians fleeing the offensive initiated by Russia, and discussed the possible granting of a temporary protection status.
It is estimated that since the beginning of hostilities about 400,000 Ukrainians have already left their country, mostly in the direction of Poland, while EU member states are now discussing a coordinated response to the challenge.
Meeting in Brussels, the European interior ministers exhibited a “vast majority” in favor of implementing a Temporary Protection Directive, adopted in 2002 but in practice never used.
This initiative contemplates the granting temporary protection to displaced persons from neighboring countries to the EU, and its subsequent distribution among the members of the bloc.
Ukrainians with biometric passports can enter EU territory for up to three months without a visa, but the EU is seeking to define a broader response.
The European Commissioner for the Interior, Ylva Johansson, said that “the time is right” to implement that directive.
“Ensuring protection at European level”
Belgium is one of the countries that promoted its immediate implementation.
Arriving at the meeting in Brussels, the Minister of the Interior of that country, Sammy Mahdi, defended the application of the directive to “ensure protection at European level”. “We are a historic moment for the EU,” she said.
In order to be implemented, the mechanism requires the vote of 15 of the 27 member countries and that they represent at least 65 percent of the bloc’s population.
Johansson said he would prepare a formal proposal to activate the directive, to be presented to a meeting of interior ministers at another meeting scheduled for next Thursday.
The official explained that at the moment the ukrainians entering the European territory find refuge in the houses of friends or relativesand that only a “limited number” of those people make an asylum claim.
Johansson announced that he will travel to the Romanian-Ukrainian border on Monday to verify on the ground the priority needs of the displaced.
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