Almost half of Ukraine refugees move on from neighbouring countries

Germany, Italy and Czech Republic are most common subsequent destinations

Ukrainian schoolchildren in a classroom in Berlin, Germany, one of the countries where many refugees have arrived. Getty Images

The UN said on Friday that almost half the refugees who fled from Ukraine to neighbouring countries have since moved on to other European nations.

More than 6.6 million people have poured across Ukraine's borders since Russia invaded on February 24, the vast majority of them women and children. About 2.9 million are no longer in the border states where they first arrived, the UN refugee agency said.

Germany, Italy and the Czech Republic are the most common destinations for people moving on to a third country, UNHCR figures show.

Poland is the most-affected border country, followed by Romania, Hungary, Moldova and Slovakia. Some people have ended up in Russia, but Ukraine says these include forced removals.

About 100,000 refugees per day were arriving at the Polish border in early March but the number has slowed to roughly 20,000 throughout May. Polish railways have offered free onward travel for people heading to Germany and other countries.

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People's needs are only increasing as the conflict grinds on and strong support from the wider international community will be needed to maintain the initial show of generosity, said UNHCR spokeswoman Olga Sarrado.

“Newly arrived refugees often come from areas heavily affected by the fighting, some having spent weeks hiding in bomb shelters and basements,” Ms Sarrado told a briefing in Geneva, speaking remotely from a refugee centre in Warsaw.

“They often arrive in a state of distress and anxiety, having left family members behind, without a clear plan for where to go and with less economic resources and connections than those who fled earlier.

“Support will need to be provided so they can stay in the country until they can go back and live with dignity.”

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  A Ukrainian refugee waits to be given shelter in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. AFP

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  Campaigner Rend Platings, right, embraces her Ukrainian best friend Kristina Korniiuk as they are reunited outside her home in Cambridge. Ms Platings went on hunger strike until MsKorniiuk's UK visa was approved and painted her house in the colours of the Ukrainian flag. PA

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  Ukrainian women attend a job-seekers' meeting aboard the 'Mediterranee' ferry, where they are living while it remains docked in Marseille, southern France. AFP

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  Refugee schoolchildren are given Ukrainian primary school education in Berlin, where they also have the choice of attending German schools. Getty

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  Teacher Katja with Artem, Sofia and Alexander, refugee schoolchildren who are receiving Ukrainian curriculum primary school education in Berlin, Germany. Getty

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  Ukrainian refugee Alikhan Yusupov, 10, on his first day at Caldecote Primary School after his family fled their home in Kharkiv and moved to Cambridgeshire, England. PA

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  Roman Starkov plays with nephew Alikhan as they settle into their new home in Caldecote, near Cambridge, after they fled Kharkiv. PA

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  Ukrainian refugee Egor Svichkar, 3, whose family now live with a British host. PA

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  Ukrainian refugees Yaroslav Kryvoshyia and Irina Kryvoviaz, with her son Sasha as they settle into their new home in North Moreton, Oxfordshire. PA

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  An Ukrainian refugee woman sews in Strasbourg, France, part of project for Ukrainian refugees to find jobs after fleeing the war. AFP

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  Ukranian refugee Karolina, 16, laughs as she prepares for a party at the La Ville-aux-Dames camp site, her family's temporary home in La Ville-aux-Dames, central France. AFP

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  Ukrainians queue outside a refugee centre in Paris. AFP

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  Myroslava Perevalska (R), an artist who fled Kyiv, helps a Ukrainian girl paint Easter eggs in Berlin. Getty Images

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  The 'Beacon of Ukraine', a gathering at Markthalle Neun in Berlin, bringing together refugees and NGOs as well as showcasing Ukrainian culture. Getty Images

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  Larysa Biachenko, 40, who does not know if her house in Chernihiv is still standing, and Svitlana Lykhonos, 43, who was the owner of a hotel restaurant in Frankiusk, peel onions at a special cooking course run by the regional government to offer them a job opportunity, in Alicante, Spain. Reuters

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  A convoy of Ukrainian refugees who left Mariupol, accompanied by 17 volunteers, arrive at Juan Carlos I park in Madrid. EPA

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  Ukrainian refugees, who arrived in Italy from Lviv after two weeks of travel, are tended to in the reception centre of the Red Cross in Settimo Torinese, near Turin. EPA

In the first weeks of the war, volunteers flocked to help at the borders and at railway stations or welcomed new arrivals into their homes.

More than 1.1 million people have registered with the Polish authorities and received an ID number which gives them access to public services. About 94 per cent of those registered are women and children.

Ukrainians have crossed into Poland more than 2.1 million times since February 28, although these are not necessarily permanent returns.

“We have also seen more pendular movements, where people go back and forth across the border to Ukraine for various reasons, including visiting families, checking their properties or returning to their jobs,” said Ms Sarrado.

“However, Poland expects to continue receiving and hosting a considerable number of refugees, given the large internal displacement, massive destruction and the ongoing hostilities in Ukraine.”

Before the invasion, Ukraine had a population of 37 million in the regions under government control, excluding Russia-annexed Crimea and the pro-Russian separatist-controlled regions in the east.