War in Ukraine: one year later, successful reception of refugees in Poland and mixed in Germany

Since Russia began its invasion of Ukraine almost a year ago on February 24, 2022, millions of Ukrainians have been forced into exile in other countries. While around 100,000 of them live in France, the club of correspondents is interested Thursday, February 16 in those who have been welcomed in Germany and Poland.

In Poland, an effective reception system

Bordering Ukraine, Poland is the country that has received the most refugees since the start of the conflict: nearly 10 million have passed through, and one and a half million have settled there. AT Przemysl, for example, a town of 60,000 inhabitants located a few kilometers from the Lviv region, nearly 50,000 refugees arrived every day at the start of the war. A year later, they are much less likely to cross the border – about 20,000 every day in total – and the mayor believes that the city has managed to organize itself, with the help of the government and associations. Moreover, the new arrivals are more economic migrants, better prepared for exile.

In Germany, overwhelmed authorities

In Germany, the second host country for Ukrainian refugees behind Poland with more than a million registered exiles, the situation is however more complicated. Places of accommodation and doctors are lacking, schools and nurseries are saturated. Many cities, which bear a third of the expenses necessary to house the refugees, are calling for more state support. For its part, the government, which had promised one and a half billion euros in October 2022, is organizing a new summit on the question of refugees on Thursday February 16 and wishes, through the voice of its Minister of the Interior, a better distribution of exiles within the European Union.