#EUFridays by JEF Hungary #15
Patrik Miklós György
Mar-04-2022
EU protection plan for refugees fleeing Ukraine
According to the United Nations refugee agency, since the Russian invasion began one week ago, more than one million Ukrainians have fled their country. Poland has registered already over half a million Ukrainian refugees with Hungary currently counting 130,000. To deal with the influx of people the EU has reached for a directive that has never been used before. The Temporary Protection Directive speeds up the overburdened asylum procedure by offering a simplified and quicker access to protection. Ukrainian refugees will receive residence permits within the EU for one year, which then will be automatically extended for another year. If circumstances do not improve in Ukraine, member states can decide to prolong the exceptional measure by one more year. National ministers came to the unanimous decision on Thursday to activate the directive. In the coming days, once the proposal is formally adopted by the EU Council the law will enter into force and the special protection will be given right after adoption. The Temporary Protection Directive offers the legal right to stay within an EU member state and gives access to healthcare, education, labour market, healthcare and social welfare. Ylva Johansson, the European Commissioner for home affairs praised the unity and firmness of the EU in the conflict, saying: “I'm proud of being European, I'm proud of the solidarity that individual citizens are showing"
Moldova and Georgia apply to join the EU
Georgia and Moldova, two former Soviet republics have formally applied for EU membership. The initiative of the two countries comes at the heels of Ukraine’s decision to press its EU membership. Usually the process takes years and requires the fulfillment of strict criteria, such as level of corruption and respect for human rights Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili said the following: "The application for EU Membership is yet another milestone on the path of European integration of Georgia -- it is a stage, which turns a new page in our history and continues the effort of our ancestors, which is aimed at the accession of Georgia into a common European family".
Further Russia sanctions discussed by the EU and US
Since last Wednesday, the EU has sanctioned several individuals, including Vladimir Putin and his closest allies, as well as Russian banks and high-tech industry. Sanctions have hit Belarus’s key raw material exports aswell. G7 allies have closely coordinated the sanctions, even though clear differences can be found. On Friday allied foreign ministers have gathered in NATO headquarters to discuss fresh measures.