In six days of war with Russia, more than 835 thousand people have left Ukraine. This was reported by Radio Free Europe, citing the official representative of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Shabia Mantoo.
835,928 people have fled Ukraine over the past 6 days.
— Shabia Mantoo (@Shabia_M) March 2, 2022
According to Polish President Andrzej Duda, around 500 thousand Ukrainian citizens arrived in the country, by the first estimation. The media writes that more than 100 thousand Ukrainians crossed the Hungarian border, dozens of thousands left for Moldova, Romania, and Slovakia.
Ukrainian citizens have a right to visa-free entry into the EU countries so they can cross the border without any issues. Local authorities and non-governmental organizations help them find housing, food, clothes. Some in the EU are proposing that Ukrainians who are fleeing the war be granted the same rights as political asylum seekers - even if they do not formally apply for asylum.
Update: another UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, stated that 1 million citizens have left Ukraine in the last week.
In just seven days we have witnessed the exodus of one million refugees from Ukraine to neighbouring countries.
— Filippo Grandi (@FilippoGrandi) March 2, 2022
For many millions more, inside Ukraine, it’s time for guns to fall silent, so that life-saving humanitarian assistance can be provided.