Over 66,000 Ukrainian refugees have been granted temporary protection in Slovakia

Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24, more than 324,000 people have crossed the Slovak-Ukrainian border fleeing the war.

In a statement issued on April 21, the European Commission said that many Ukrainian refugees were in transit through Slovakia or stayed for a short time before being relocated to another destination, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports.

As of April 12, the remaining 66,000 persons have been granted temporary protection and intend to stay and integrate in Slovakia.

The majority of those that have decided to stay in the country are women with children, accounting for about 90 per cent, and children as a separate group represent approximately one-third of all displaced persons from Ukraine in the country.

“Most temporary protection holders arriving from Ukraine are heading towards the capital city of Bratislava and the west of the country, where there are better opportunities for economic participation and integration,” the statement reads.

The population of Bratislava currently makes up more than three per cent of newcomers from Ukraine and for this reason, the second language spoken now is Ukrainian, after their mother tongue.

Data from the Foreign Police Bureau the Bratislava region reveal that between February 24 and April 6 this year, more than 15,000 people arrived in Bratislava from Ukraine, including about 5,314 children.

“Exact locations of where those with temporary protection are being accommodated are not yet available, as official statistics show only where a person applied for temporary protection, rather than where they were staying at the time or where they moved to once the protection was granted,” the statement also explains.

According to the EU Commission, the Slovak labour market currently advertises more than 32,000 job vacancies suitable for people fleeing Ukraine.

Otherwise, more than 2,600 such people have already found work in Slovakia in professions such as labourer or production operator, cleaner, kitchen helper, and warehouse worker.

Discussions regarding the integration of refugees coming from Ukraine often focus on their economic benefit, where officials and institutions point out that filling vacancies with temporary protection holders will help the Slovak economy.

Experts also point out that people fleeing Ukraine are in fragile situations upon arrival and, in this way, should be given specialised support from the outset.

According to them, Economic Integration is only a part of the whole picture and should not represent the main argument for the welcome and social acceptance of those from Ukraine.

SOURCE: Schengen Visa Info

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