Refugees from Ukraine
into neighboring countries
in the first week of war
500k people
RUSSIA
Poland
50k
547k
Belarus
EUROPE
500
Ukraine
E.U. countries
Slovakia
Non-E.U. countries
No data
Romania
133k
97k
Hungary
Moldova
Refugees from Ukraine
into neighboring countries
in the first week of war
E.U. countries
Non-E.U. countries
No data
500k people
50k
500
RUSSIA
Poland
547k
Belarus
EUROPE
Ukraine
Slovakia
Romania
97k
133k
Moldova
Hungary
Refugees from Ukraine into neighboring
countries in the first week of war
500k
50k
500
E.U. countries
Non-E.U. countries
No data
Pol.
RUSSIA
547k
Bel.
EUROPE
Ukr.
Slovak.
Rom.
Hung.
97k
133k
Mold.
Where have Ukrainian refugees gone?
They packed into trains bound for Poland. Drove through the night to Romania. Pushed strollers to the safety of Slovakia.
Russia’s full-scale invasion sent millions of Ukrainians fleeing to countries in the European Union.
In the first week of war, roughly a million people, mostly women and children, escaped to the European Union, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. Most went to neighboring countries.
On March 3, the E.U. agreed to activate an emergency measure known as the Temporary Protection Directive for the first time. It grants those fleeing the war rights denied to other migrants, including the right to work and travel in the bloc.
Four months into Russia’s full-scale invasion, 5.2 million refugees from Ukraine were recorded across Europe, one of the biggest mass displacements since World War II.
By mid-June, 3.2 million had been granted temporary protection in the E.U.
Central and eastern Europe are hosting a disproportionate share of newcomers compared with relatively wealthy western Europe.
In the Czech Republic, those registered for temporary protection now account for 3.5 percent of the population.
Despite the large numbers, the continent responded with a speed — and generosity — that was a sharp contrast to other recent influxes.
In Poland, 547,000 Ukrainians arrived in just one week; volunteers rushed to the border to offer them food, shelter and support. Hungary, which built razor-wire fences during the last migration crisis, welcomed 133,000 Ukrainians in the same period.
The E.U. enacted the Temporary Protection Directive, granting those men, women and children the right to live, work and access social services in the bloc for at least a year, potentially more. Previous waves of newcomers, including from the Middle East and Africa in 2015, were not offered the same protections.
“All those fleeing [Vladimir] Putin’s bombs are welcome in Europe,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen declared, referring to the Russian president. “We will provide protection to those seeking shelter, and we will help those looking for a safe way home.”
The latest data does not provide a complete picture on the refugees’ whereabouts because some have not registered with national authorities, or have not yet been approved. People who started off in one country may now be in another. Some have gone back to Ukraine.
But the numbers do give a sense of where displaced people plan to stay for now.
TOP: Ukrainians wait in a miles-long line at a border crossing in Shehyni en route to Medyka, Poland, on Feb. 25. LEFT: Ukrainians wait to enter Poland, which has accepted 1.18 million refugees. RIGHT: In the four months since Russia invaded Ukraine, 5.2 million refugees have been recorded across Europe. (Wojciech Grzedzinski for The Washington Post)
As in the war’s early days, most people have opted to remain closer to home in central and eastern European countries. Those decisions will likely shape future E.U. debates over migration, as certain countries seek more funding and support for services, including schools.
Seven years ago, Europe was confronted by another wave of newcomers that included Syrians fleeing a brutal war as well refugees and migrants from South Asia, the Middle East and elsewhere.
There is no precise way to compare what happened in 2015 and 2016 to what is happening now because temporary protection has not been used in the E.U. before. However, refugee and asylum numbers offer a sense of how much larger and faster this wave is. Poland was hesitant to accept refugees during the last crisis, but has already welcomed 1.18 million people who left Ukraine. Germany, one of the most receptive countries last time, has received 780,000 refugees from Ukraine so far, 40 percent of the number of refugees and asylum seekers it received in 2015 and 2016 combined.
All refugees and
asylum seekers from
2015 to 2016
Estimated refugees
from Ukraine in
2022 (March to June 21)
Germany
Poland
1.99M
1.18M
780k
32k
Portugal
Spain
Czech Rep.
Hungary
119k
373k
50k
25k
8.7k
49k
42k
3.4k
Italy
Croatia
Greece
137k
425k
129k
14k
14k
1.3k
All refugees and
asylum seekers from
2015 to 2016
Estimated refugees
from Ukraine in
2022 (March to June 21)
Germany
Poland
1.99M
1.18M
780k
32k
Czech Rep.
Portugal
Spain
Hungary
119k
373k
50k
25k
8.7k
49k
42k
3.4k
Croatia
Greece
Italy
137k
425k
129k
14k
14k
1.3k
All refugees and
asylum seekers from
2015 to 2016
Estimated refugees
from Ukraine in 2022
(March to June 21)
Germany
Poland
1.99M
1.18M
780k
32k
Czech Rep.
Hungary
373k
25k
8.7k
49k
Portugal
Spain
119k
50k
42k
3.4k
Croatia
Greece
Italy
137k
425k
129k
14k
14k
1.3k
The aftermath of the earlier exodus is still felt in Europe. After a warm welcome initially from Germany, with then-Chancellor Angela Merkel promising “We can do this!”, much of the E.U. decided it would not. Since then, a far-right backlash has fueled efforts to block asylum seekers.
Europe did not invoke temporary protection seven years ago, leaving many in limbo for years while their asylum cases were assessed.
TOP: In 2015, refugees wait to enter Dobova, Slovenia, after taking a train from Croatia. (Matic Zorman for The Washington Post) LEFT: Soldiers reinforce a barbed wire fence at the entry from Serbia into Hungary during the 2015 migration crisis. (Jodi Hilton for The Washington Post) RIGHT: A migrant from Syria holds a picture of German Chancellor Angela Merkel in 2015 as he arrives in Munich. (Sean Gallup/Getty Images)
As the war drags on, questions about how the bloc will share the cost of supporting newcomers will likely get more complicated. Margaritis Schinas, vice president of the European Commission, told The Post last month that he expects “at least 2.5 million to 3 million” Ukrainian refugees will stay in the bloc.
What happens next will be closely watched for ideas on how to handle displacement on a massive scale. The lesson so far, said Shabia Mantoo, a spokesperson for UNHCR: “If we can do this with millions of refugees who are fleeing in a short amount of time, then this can be done elsewhere.”