EU prepares for new wave of Ukrainian refugees — Politico

Ukrainian refugees. Photo: Hannibal Ganschke/EFE

The threat of a prolonged war in Ukraine without US military support is forcing European Union politicians to consider the emergence of a new wave of huge numbers of refugees.

This was reported by Politico , citing European government representatives at a meeting in Brussels on Wednesday, 5 March.

«If Putin escalates this war even further and American support disappears, and if this leads to more refugee movements ... we need a mandatory distribution of refugees from Ukraine across the EU, in accordance with a fair mechanism», German Interior Minister Nancy Feser said.

At the same time, Nancy Feser noted that a new massive influx of refugees is not expected at the moment, and this is only a «scenario» that needs to be discussed.

Austrian Interior Minister Gerhard Karner said he would use his visit to Brussels to officially inform the European Commission of the new Austrian government's intention to stop the practice of family reunification. He stressed that Austria «has already made its contribution» and wants to focus on the integration of those already in the country.

As noted, in absolute terms, Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic have received the largest number of refugees, with about 1 million people receiving temporary protection in Germany and Poland. But when compared to the size of the local population, the Baltic States, Slovakia and Ireland were also «key destinations».

As of December 2024, more than 4.3 million Ukrainians were under temporary protection in European countries, fleeing Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Temporary protection status is an EU regulation that was first applied to Ukrainian refugees. It means that they have the right to work, live and study in the host country.

As of January 2025, 21% of Ukrainians are ready to leave the country if the borders are fully opened. The main reasons for this decision are the lack of development opportunities, the consequences of the war, and insufficient social support.