By Monday, nearly 1.5 million people have fled Ukraine since Russia’s devastating attack on an Eastern European country began on February 24th.
Finland expects to receive a number of asylum applications from people fleeing the war – and this has been the case in recent days – but as Ukrainians can enter Finland freely without a visa, the authorities are uncertain about the number of arrivals so far.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has predicted that as many as four million people could flee Ukraine.
That would be a relatively large number compared to the 2015 refugee crisis, when 1.3 million asylum seekers arrived in the EU.
The situation is difficult in Europe, but not in Finland at this stage Jari KähkönenDirector General of the Finnish Immigration Service (Migri).
According to official statistics, about 400 Ukrainians have applied for asylum in Finland this year. This number is expected to increase as Ukrainian visitors can stay in the country for 90 days without a special permit or paperwork.
On Thursday, Migri received 97 asylum applications, Kähkönen said.
"Many fugitives do not necessarily seek asylum immediately," Kähkönen explained and added that those who arrived may have acquaintances or relatives in the country.
At present, more than 7,000 Ukrainian citizens live permanently in Finland.
Traditional charities and grassroots groups
Many groups are preparing to help the expected arrival of Ukrainians, including the Finnish Red Cross and Unicef - but also a grassroots group Operation Hope (roughly Operation Hope), which arranges for donated clothing and goods to be distributed to those who need them.
Elizabeth HarjunpääBorn in Ukraine, she works with the Ukrainian Association in Finland to collect food, medicine and clothes for people fleeing the war.
About 1,200 people have already volunteered to receive refugees in their homes.
"Ordinary families around the country have provided extra room or even just living room sofas," Harjunpää explained and added that the association strives to reconcile the hosts with its guests as rationally as possible.
"For example, if they have children of the same age, we will try to bring them together. We believe this will make it easier for them to adjust," he said.
"We also ask property managers how long they can accommodate asylum seekers. Many say they can help as long as it is needed." Harjunpää said.
Finnish reception centers
Migrin’s CEO Kähkönen said he was happy to see the help of ordinary people.
He pointed out that Migri has posted a form (available in Finnish and Swedish) that allows people to voluntarily report the arrival of Ukrainians who have fled the country due to the attack. The general information on the form will help Migri prepare for those in need, he explained.
The capacity of Finnish reception centers was increased due to the war in Ukraine, Kähkönen said. The existing reception centers currently have accommodation for about 3,300 people, but more facilities can be built as needed, he said.
The need may well increase when the 90-day stay period for arrivals begins to expire. After that, those who want to stay must register as an asylum seeker, in which case they will be entitled to accommodation in reception centers.
However, the situation is changing as the temporary EU directive on the protection of Ukrainians enters into force this week. The directive guarantees those fleeing war immediate access to study, employment, health care and accommodation in reception centers for three years.
"The majority of Ukrainians fall within the scope of the directive," Kähkönen pointed out.
Source: The Nordic Page