As the Russian invasion of Ukraine continues, Erickson Immigration Group is carefully monitoring the response by European governments. Since fighting broke out on Thursday, February 24, governments have closed or relocated their embassies or consulates outside Kyiv, closed international airspace, suspended visas to Russian nationals, and offered broad humanitarian support and asylum visas to Ukrainians.
The situation in Ukraine is ongoing and subject to sudden change. Updated Tuesday, March 1, 2022.
Current Situation
| Region: EU | Ukraine Changes |
| EU Travel Restrictions: | On Sunday, February 27, the EU Commission proposed that all 27 EU Member States offer 3-years of asylum, without asylum procedures, for all refugees from Ukraine.
In addition to economic sanctions, the EU Commission published a statement, “We commit to taking measures to limit the sale of citizenship—so-called golden passports—that let wealthy Russians connected to the Russian government become citizens of our countries and gain access to our financial systems.” All EU countries have closed their airspace to Russian aircraft. The EU is coordinating its response with international partners, including NATO and G7. |
| Austria | “Pressure is building up on the Slovakian, but also on the Hungarian and Polish borders. We must now support these countries in solidarity,” Austrian chancellor Karl Nehammer said on Thursday, February 24. “We are a European family, and families stand by each other,” “We are ready, if necessary, to take in refugees from Ukraine,” Nehammer said. |
| Belgium | Ukrainian nationals do not require a visa to travel to Belgium and can stay there for up to 90 days. Belgium’s Junior Minister for Asylum and Migration has said that Belgium wants the EU to stop issuing visas to all Russian citizens, including students, workers, and tourists. The Belgian Asylum and Migration Secretary proposed automatic protection across the EU, which the EU Commission has endorsed. |
| Bulgaria | Bulgarian Prime Minister Kiril Petkov said on February 24 that “Bulgaria will be a partner who will speak with one voice with the European Union and NATO… I would like to appeal to all Bulgarians in Ukraine, as well as to all Ukrainian citizens who wish to seek asylum in Bulgaria: We are open and will do everything possible not only for safe transport to Bulgaria in a safe way, but also there will be all the help they need,” Petkov said. |
| Croatia | Croatia can currently provide for 3,500 persons from Ukraine, and plans are being made so that up to 17,000 can be accommodated, Davor Spevec of the Civil Protection Directorate told Slavonski Brod on Saturday, February 26. |
| Czech Republic | The government has stopped issuing visas for Russian citizens, except for those eligible for humanitarian visas. The government has closed the Russian consulates in Brno and Karlovy Vary and Czech consulates in St. Petersburg and Yekaterinburg. Additionally, as of February 25, citizens of Ukraine, EU citizens or permanent residents en route from Ukraine, and individuals leaving Ukraine via the Czech Republic to their country of residence or citizenship, are exempted from all COVID-10 obligations. However, individuals traveling to their country of residence or citizenship via the Czech Republic from Ukraine must leave the Czech Republic within 48 hours. |
| Denmark | According to Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, Denmark will prepare to receive refugees from Ukraine and send humanitarian aid to Ukraine and neighboring countries. |
| Estonia | Estonia has invoked NATO Article 4. Interior minister Kristian Jaani says Estonia could accommodate around 2,000 refugees from Ukraine, and that the sizable Ukrainian community in Estonia would help. Ukrainians can enter Estonia visa-free. Jaani also said that the question of whether to issue visas to Russian nationals would be under discussion early this week and not later than the cabinet meeting on March 1. |
| Finland | Finland is prepared to receive refugees from Ukraine, Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin said on Thursday, February 24. |
| France | France has decided to move its embassy out of the Ukrainian capital, but the French ambassador will remain. France has already sent 33 tons of emergency aid, including tents, blankets, and sleeping bags, to Ukraine via Poland. According to the statement, they were delivered to the Ukrainian authorities on Monday. |
| Germany | “We are following very closely whether there will be an influx of refugees to our neighboring countries,” Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said in a statement.
Germany “will provide massive help to the affected states — especially our neighbor Poland — should there be a large-scale influx,” and remains in close contact with Poland and the EU Commission, she said. |
| Greece | The migration ministry said Greece has suspended issuance and renewal of residence permits to wealthy Russians investing in Greece “until further notice.” |
| Hungary | Hungary has started its preparations for incoming refugees, and about 600,000 of them will be settled by the Hungarian Defence Forces. However, it hasn’t yet been announced how the authority plans to accommodate the refugees. |
| Iceland | The Icelandic Ministry of Justice has removed Ukraine from its safe country of origin list, as such, applications for international protection from Ukrainians will be handled as a priority, in contrast to applications from safe countries. |
| Ireland | Taoiseach Micheál Martin confirmed that visa requirements for all Ukrainian citizens coming into Ireland would be waived. Normally, Ukrainian nationals must have a visa to enter. This will streamline and support the swift exit of both the Ukrainian family members of Irish citizens and the family members of people from Ukraine who are resident in Ireland. It will apply as an emergency measure to all Ukrainians traveling to Ireland. |
| Italy | Italy has moved its embassy from Kyiv to the city of Lviv in western Ukraine in light of the deteriorating “security situation” in the Ukrainian capital. |
| Latvia | The plan for the reception and accommodation of refugees, developed by the Ministry of the Interior, was approved on Thursday. The Latvian ambassador to Russia, Māris Riekstiņš, will be recalled for consultations, and the issuance of travel visas to Russian citizens will be suspended, except in cases related to special humanitarian considerations. Latvia has invoked NATO Article 4. |
| Lithuania | The Lithuanian foreign ministry announced on Thursday that it would no longer grant visas to Russian citizens, including for health-related needs. Lithuania’s president declared a state of emergency and deployed the army to the border in response to “possible disturbances and provocations due to large military forces massed in Russia and Belarus.” Lithuania has invoked NATO Article 4. Ukrainians will be able to apply for a temporary residence permit in Lithuania on humanitarian grounds or a national visa on humanitarian grounds,” said Liucija Voišnis, Deputy Director of the Migration Department. |
| Moldova | On February 24, the Parliament of Moldova declared a state of emergency for 60 days due to the situation in Ukraine and threats to the security of Moldova. |
| Netherlands | Ukrainians in the Netherlands can extend their short-stay visa or visa-exempt term to stay longer in the Netherlands. They can extend for a maximum of 90 days, up to 180 days. This is also possible if their visa or visa-exempt term has already expired. From February 28, 2022, the IND does not have to decide on Ukrainian asylum applications for six months. This is called a decision moratorium. Also, the Repatriation and Departure Service will not force Ukrainians to depart if their application was previously rejected by the IND. This is called a departure moratorium. Ukraine will not be considered a safe country of origin for six months. |
| Norway | Norway closed its airspace to Russian aircraft on Sunday, February 27. |
| Poland | Poland expects to receive about one million Ukrainian refugees, as the Interior Minister of Poland, Maciej Wąsik, told Polish radio. Poland has invoked NATO Article 4. |
| Portugal | Minister of State and Foreign Affairs, Augusto Santos Silva, said that “the Foreigners and Borders Service [SEF] has already suspended the consideration of any application dossier for residence permits for investment, commonly known as golden visas, of Russian citizens.” |
| Romania | On the first day of fighting, nearly 11,000 Ukrainians arrived in Romania. |
| Slovakia | Slovakia sent troops to manage a possible influx of people fleeing Ukraine. |
| Spain | Spain closed its airspace to Russian aircraft on Sunday, February 27. |
| Switzerland | Switzerland will adopt all the sanctions that the European Union has imposed on Russian people and companies and close its airspace to most Russian aircraft. |
| United Kingdom | On Tuesday, March 1, the UK Home Secretary announced phase 2 of the government’s humanitarian support package for the people of Ukraine. Secretary Patel said that the measures could be implemented quickly without UK Immigration Rules or legislation changes while maintaining standard security checks. |