The Ukrainian crisis: Europe facing one of the largest migration flows in its history
One million people have already fled war-torn Ukraine, but the figure could rise to seven million. And Europe is preparing to welcome them.
Home is where the heart is, Pliny the Elder used to say. When you are forced to leave it, a piece of your heart remains there too. "Five years ago, according to Unhcr, people forced into displacement amounted to 45 million. In 2018 there were 60 million. Today there are 85 million human beings forced to flee their country, 22 wars under way and 359 internal conflicts."
These are the figures provided to us by Giancarla Boreatti who, for 28 years, worked for the city of Milan handling immigration services and managing, between 2013 and 2015, the emergency linked to Libya. She then began working with Avsi, a non-profit organisation with extensive experience in developing countries and in areas affected by conflicts.
- "Refugee" and "migrant": what is the difference
- The European Union's response
- The case of Poland
- Testimonies from Romania
- The complaints of African students and workers
- The "racist" approach of some Western media
- The EU directive in the event of a mass influx of displaced persons
- Arrivals in Italy
- Every war concerns us all
The war in Ukraine is causing one of the most massive and most rapid exoduses in the recent history of the European Union. More than one million Ukrainians have crossed the border, especially women and unaccompanied children, but estimates suggest the figure could reach between three and seven million.
"Refugee" and "migrant": what is the difference
Before understanding how Europe will manage this extraordinary influx, it is worth clarifying the terms used to define those who leave their country.
Those who leave because of wars, natural disasters or political persecution are defined as "displaced persons". They can then apply for international protection, thus becoming "asylum seekers": if the application is accepted, the individual acquires the status of "refugee" – as established by the Geneva Convention of 1951, incorporated into Italian law in 1954.
A migrant, according to the definition given by the International Organisation for Migration, is a person who moves away from their place of residence for other reasons, related above all to the pursuit of greater wellbeing. The term is typically used to refer to so-called "economic migrants".
The European Union's response
The same Europe that has repeatedly shown itself unable to respond adequately to the challenge of migration and to create redistribution mechanisms has now demonstrated unity in the face of the emergency. "In response to a challenge linked to its borders, it has decided to act. Faced with such a complex humanitarian situation, the neighbouring states have taken on this emergency in a responsible manner, with the limitations that these numbers can bring. With a single shared objective: to take care of the people caught up in the conflict," states Chiara Cardoletti, Unhcr representative for Italy.
Guidelines have been issued, more than 500 million euros in funds have been allocated; Frontex, the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, has committed to monitoring the situation in Ukraine 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, staying in contact with member states and standing ready to support them when called upon.
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The case of Poland
Around half of the Ukrainians who have fled have gone to Poland. A country that, guided by right-wing nationalism, had distanced itself from the EU, calling into question the principle of the primacy of European law over national law. This issue led to sanctions from Brussels and the use, by the media, of the term "Polexit".
In such a difficult moment as the present one, things have changed entirely: as a show of solidarity, the foreign ministers of France and Germany, Jean-Yves Le Drian and Annalena Baerbock, met their Polish counterpart Zbigniew Włodzimierz Rau in Łódź, within the framework of the Weimar Triangle, a format that brings together the three countries. Poland is on the front line in welcoming refugees, and the European Union is on the front line in helping it.
Testimonies from Romania
Both Hungary and Romania have also stated that those fleeing the war in Ukraine will be welcomed without difficulty. "We visited the facilities made available by our partner NGOs in the Romanian region of Suceava, which borders Ukraine, and we are supporting them in various ways, including by sending food, blankets and sanitary products. We also visited a camp set up by the local authorities in Rădăuţi, twenty kilometres from the border," says Simona Carobene, director of the association Fdp – protagonisti nell'educazione.
"In this camp, under the marquee, students who are mainly Indian and Pakistani have been arriving, because it appears that there were many foreign students in Ukraine. They face a double problem, as they do not hold a European passport: they manage to enter Romania, because the borders here have been opened, but then they may not be able to leave. They are waiting for their embassies to help them with documents to return home."
The complaints of African students and workers at the border
The fate of those fleeing who are not European appears to be a source of particular concern. Some people of African origin claim to have been stranded for days at the Ukrainian border without food or shelter, and say they were obstructed and even beaten by local authorities who, by contrast, were allowing Ukrainian nationals through. This is what the New York Times reports. Condemnation from the African Union and from Nigeria's president, Muhammadu Buhari, was swift in coming.
What has happened calls to mind the denunciation made by don Moses Zerai, an Eritrean priest and founder of the Agenzia Abeshia who, in 2015, accused Europe of privileging Syrian refugees at the expense of Eritrean, Somali and Sudanese ones.
A more recent case concerns the plight of Afghans who fled to Iran, where they are subject to the fate of so many ethnic and national minorities: they live half-lives, stripped of fundamental rights. A drama recounted with great delicacy by Iranian director Afsaneh Salari in the film The Silhouettes.
The "racist" approach of some Western media
In the current situation, some Western media outlets have been criticised for their "racist" approach, as it seemed to suggest that the Ukrainian people, simply because they are white and European, were more deserving of solidarity than other peoples caught up in similar tragedies.
As reported by Vice Italy, one example is the remark made by CBS reporter Charlie D'Agata, who stated: "Ukraine isn't a place, with all due respect, like Iraq or Afghanistan, that has seen conflict raging for decades. This is a relatively civilised, relatively European city where you wouldn't expect that or hope that it's going to happen."
NBC journalist Kelly Cobiella was also criticised for her statement: "These are not refugees from Syria, these are refugees from Ukraine… They're Christian, they're white, they're very similar to us." Finally, Ukrainian politician David Sakvarelidze told the BBC that he was emotional watching "European people with blue eyes and blonde hair" being killed.
The EU directive in the event of a mass influx of displaced persons
On 3 March, European authorities announced the activation of Directive 2001/55/EC, which sets out minimum standards for granting temporary protection in the event of a mass influx of displaced persons, as well as measures to promote a balance of efforts among EU member states. These states must provide those granted temporary protection with a residence permit, valid for the entire duration of the protection. People enjoying temporary protection have the right to:
- engage in employed or self-employed activities;
- access adult education, vocational training and work experience;
- obtain suitable accommodation;
- receive social welfare, economic support and medical care.
- Those under the age of 18 have the right to access education on the same terms as citizens of the host country.
"For it to enter into force, there must be a provision approved by the Council of Europe. All member states must be in agreement. In the case of Afghanistan, the Visegrád countries had not given their approval. Today they are the most directly affected," explains Giancarla Boreatti. "This directive greatly simplifies the procedures."
Arrival in Italy
It is by crossing the border in Friuli that Ukrainians enter Italy. One week after the start of the Russian offensive, nearly 4,000 refugees had already arrived in the country. According to estimates by the Italia-Ucraina association, the number of civilians fleeing the shelling to take refuge in regions across the peninsula could exceed 800,000.
In Italy's case, it was the Turco-Napolitano law of 1998 that provided general guidelines for managing migration, a phenomenon that, in practice, between 1990 and 2012 was governed by various amnesties designed to address the issue of irregular migration. Those who arrive illegally, through human trafficking, apply for international protection. In 2020, the national commissions assessed 42,000 protection applications, with 11,000 people receiving some form of recognition. In 2021, the number rose to around 53,000, of which 23,000 were recognised: the countries of origin include Pakistan, Bangladesh, Tunisia, Afghanistan, Nigeria and Egypt.