Almost 6.5 million people are also estimated to have been displaced internally within Ukraine, according to the UN.
More than 3.5 million people have fled Ukraine since Russia’s invasion began four weeks ago, the UN’s refugee agency said, a number fast approaching the total 4 million refugees the agency warned could flee Ukraine and lead to “Europe’s largest refugee crisis this century.” Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has triggered the biggest refugee crisis in Europe since World War Two and comes on the back of several ongoing humanitarian crises, including large numbers of refugees from wars in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan. With Ukraine, however, the situation has been markedly different, with surrounding countries and the EU welcoming refugees with open arms and offering the right to live, work and access benefits visa-free for up to three years.
