Migration researcher Gerald Knaus believes it is possible that a total of ten million people will flee Ukraine.
The Russian President’s Warfare Wladimir Putin in Chechnya has led to a quarter of Chechens being expelled, the chairman of the think tank “European Stability Initiative” told the “RedaktionsNetzwerk Deutschland” (Saturday).
“A quarter of Ukrainians would correspond to ten million people.” Given the current dynamics, this is possible if the war continues.
“In one week, as many people have reached the EU as in the entire Bosnian war,” said Knaus. “This speed shows that we in Europe are facing the fastest and largest refugee catastrophe since the Second World War.”
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The European Union is counting on the majority of Ukrainians to distribute themselves to the countries where they have contacts. “In addition, there will be many people who need help arriving,” Knaus told RND. “A large number will come to Germany because Germany already had experience with many refugees in 2015. Other countries, including Poland, don’t have that.”
The UN refugee agency UNHCR has now reported 1.2 million displaced people from Ukraine.