The government has written to local elected officials, Tuesday, to invite them to make their capacities known for the welcome of refugees fleeing the war in Ukraine.
Le Monde with AFP.
While the concern for the reception of Ukrainians fleeing the Russian invasion is growing in the European Union, the Minister of the Interior, Gérald Darmanin, said, Tuesday 1 er March , that at this stage “less than a hundred” of them arrived in France. The Minister of the Interior took the floor at the end of a videoconferencing meeting with the prefects of the whole country. He also said he gave the instruction to prolong “ninety days at least” the residence permit of all the Ukrainians of France whose document would come to expire soon.
“I go back Thursday to Brussels for a Council of Ministers of the Interior [of the European Union], added the minister. We will ask that the European Commission dislocates what is called” temporary protection ” , that is to say a title that resembles a temporary form of asylum in European territory, of six months renewable [during] three years, which allows us to welcome the Ukrainians in Europe in the best possible way. “
Emmanuel Macron had said, at the same night of the first day of the Russian offensive in Ukraine, that “France, like all other European countries, will take its part,” not only to “assist the Ukrainian population” but also to “welcome” refugees from this country. It was followed on this line by most Elysee candidates, with the exception of Eric Zemmour who intends to leave the refugees in Poland alone.
Already more than 660,000 exiles.
Five ministers, including Mr. Darmanin, wrote on the elected officials to invite those who wish to host Ukrainian refugees to “make known” to the prefects the “solutions and possible initiatives” in their municipalities. “Our departments are already fully mobilized to prepare their arrival and deal with their needs for care (accommodation and accommodation, support for families, renewal of residence securities …)”, Hold.
Several mayors of big cities have already launched calls to mobilize the population. Sunday, the socialist mayor of Lille, Martine Aubry, launched a call to the volunteer lille, indicating that the municipality had identified 230 places available. Anne Hidalgo, the socialist candidate at the Elysée and Mayor of Paris, announced for his part having set up “a Crisis Staff in order to put all the means to ensure the accommodation of the Ukrainians blocked in Paris or who would come Refugee “. The Ecologist Mayor of Lyon, Grégory Doucet, also said to prepare “to welcome Ukrainian refugees or neighboring countries”.
More than 660,000 people fleeing the Russian invasion in Ukraine have already flocked to neighboring countries, and their number increases “exponential”, announced Tuesday the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).