Ukrainian refugees will have the right to live and work in the European Union for up to three years under a contingency plan, the Ukrainian Interior Ministry said.
"After Russia launched a brutal attack a week ago, nearly 875,000 people were forced to flee their homes in Ukraine. The EU provides for Ukrainian citizens and residents the right to live, work, receive medical care, housing and education immediately for up to one year, without having to go through lengthy asylum procedures. If the conflict lasts long or refugees cannot return safely, this status can be extended for another two years," the ministry said in a statement on its Facebook page Thursday evening.
It is stressed that more than half (454,000) left for Poland, 116,000 for Hungary, 67,000 for Slovakia, 45,000 for Romania and 79,000 for Moldova, which is not part of the EU.
The information notes that refugees from Ukraine already have 90-day visa-free access to the EU, but "this unprecedented change in EU law guarantees their status after that period."
