It is not true that Russia has taken in more Ukrainian refugees than the United States, Britain, Poland, and Germany combined

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Photo: Image by Frauke Riether from Pixabay

The post manipulatively claims most Ukrainian refugees have taken shelter in the aggressor Russia and that more refugees have moved there than in the Western countries — United States, Great Britain, Poland, and Germany combined. However, facts say this claim is wrong. Over six million total refugees are registered in Europe as of July 2024. Russia has received 1,227,555 refugees, while Britain, Poland, and Germany have collectively received 2,380,675 which is double the amount of refugees that have moved to Russia

 

Facebook post claims more Ukrainian refugees have moved to Russia than to the US, Britain, Poland, and Germany combined. This claim is untrue.

Do you know the fact?

More Ukrainian refugees have moved to Russia, than to the US, Britain, Poland, and Germany combined …

How is it possible?

The destructive war which Russia began in Ukraine more than two years ago, produces consequences in every field of that country. Thousands of lives lost so far, entire cities destroyed, and many displaced persons who leave their homes in search of a safer life. Some Ukrainians are settling elsewhere in Ukraine, but others, especially women and children, have left their homeland and are still unable to return. Some of these displaced persons decided to take shelter in neighboring countries of Ukraine, part of them went to Western countries, while the other part decided to seek shelter in Russia.

The post we are reviewing manipulatively claims most refugees are sheltered by the aggressor Russia, and that more refugees have moved there than in the Western countries — the United States, Britain, Poland and Germany combined. However, facts say this claim is untrue.

Statistical data shows Russia has indeed received the most refugees since the beginning of the war. The numbers show that Russia, since February 2022, when the Russian aggression of Ukraine began, up until July of 2024, received 1,227,555 refugees. That is a really big number, but even though Russia has taken in the most refugees, it is not true that that number is greater than the United States, Britain, Poland and Germany combined.

Namely, Germany is right under Russia in the list. It received 1,178,610 refugees in the same time period which is about the same as Russia. The two countries received over 1 million refugees, while Germany received 48,945 less. As of June, 2024, over 1.1 million refugees from Ukraine have been registered in Germany. The first increase in the number of Ukrainian refugees was registered in March and April of 2022. At the end of January 2023, over one million refugees were officially counted by the government. Germany has the highest amount of paid monthly monetary compensation for Ukrainians fleeing the war in comparison to other European countries.

Poland, also mentioned in the post is next on the list right behind Germany. During the same time period, the state received almost 1 million refugees, more precisely 957,505 refugees. Great Britain which is also mentioned in the post received 244,560, while the United States has no record of how many refugees it has taken in.

According to this data, Britain, Poland and Germany together received 2,380,675 refugees, which is double the number of refugees who took shelter in Russia.

In total, over six million Ukrainian refugees were registered throughout Europe, or 6.6 million in the world as of July 2024. Most of them left the country, crossing the border with Poland.

The EU Member States have implemented the Temporary Protection Directive, which guarantees access to accommodation, social assistance and health care of refugees from Ukraine. Individuals who flee from the war have the right to a residence permit in the EU, to the labor market and to enroll children in educational institutions.

The latest UNHCR data published on October 15, 2024, indicates 6,752,000 refugees from Ukraine are being observed globally. Of these, 6,191,800 are located in Europe, and 560,200 outside Europe.

According to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, 11,662 civilians were killed in the conflict between February 24, 2022, and mid-August 2024. There are 639 children among the victims. Additionally, 24,207 civilians were injured, including 1,577 children.

The war that Russia is waging on the territory of Ukraine, which is an independent, sovereign state, has enormous aftereffects. In addition to territorial and financial losses, the greatest loss is the human one. A huge number of individuals were left without their homes, while almost 7 million Ukrainians were displaced from their country.

The claim asserting more people fled to Russia than to Germany, Poland, Britain, and the United States combined is incorrect and therefore we assess this post as untrue.

 


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