Support Ukrainians fleeing war
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15. März 2022 In Allgemein, EN

Support Ukrainians fleeing war

The united European response to receiving refugees from Ukraine has been an extraordinary display of solidarity and unity. We must continue to ensure safe passage and quick refuge for the millions of innocent civilians fleeing from Putin’s bombs. The EPP Group stands with Ukraine and Ukrainians.

In less than two weeks, more than two million people, mainly women and children, have fled across the borders of Ukraine after Putin’s illegal, unprovoked and barbaric military invasion. The numbers are still rising.

The Russian invasion is causing a humanitarian catastrophe. The overriding imperative now is to stop the guns, missiles and rockets laying waste to an entire country. The Kremlin must immediately cease all hostilities and withdraw its troops.

Humanitarian corridors must be established urgently so that aid, supplies and medicines can reach the civilian population.

One million of the two million refugees are children, including many separated from their parents. We must protect unaccompanied childrenon arrival and ensure that they do not become victims of trafficking.

I welcome the historic decision taken unanimously by the EU Member States to activate the Temporary Protection Directive. National governments must now quickly implement the Directive. Doing so will provide a clear legal status and protection for all Ukrainian refugees, offering aid, rights and access to the job market and education.

The spontaneous and much-needed effort of EU citizens and civil society to help the refugees must be followed up by a rapid increase of capacity of Member States’ public institutions.

We must continue to ensure financial and operational support for those Member States hosting and taking care of refugees, as well as support neighbouring countries, including Moldova, to carry out border control and registration. All relevant EU Institutions and tools, including Frontex, Europol and the EU Agency for Asylum, should be made available.

I call on Member States to use the hundreds of millions of unspent Euros still available from the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund. The EPP Group also calls for unused EU regional funding to be urgently re-directed to help Ukrainian refugees.

The war in Ukraine shows once again how important and urgent it is for Member States to conclude the negotiations on the Pact on Migration and Asylum.