Estonia announces decrease in number of Ukrainian refugees
Estonian border guards reported a decrease in the number of refugees from Ukraine (photo: facebook.com/politseijapiirivalveamet)
In Estonia, a decrease in the number of refugees from Ukraine arriving in this Baltic country is being recorded due to the widespread military aggression by the Russian Federation, according to the Estonian Police and Border Guard Department.
According to the Estonian agency, this situation has been observed over the past six months.
Since the onset of the full-scale war by the Russian Federation against Ukraine, nearly 160,000 Ukrainian citizens have arrived in Estonia as refugees.
The Estonian Border Guard Service noted that out of them, 70,000 have traveled further to other countries, while approximately 90,000 refugees from Ukraine have declared their decision to stay in Estonia.
As of now, nearly 31,000 Ukrainian refugees reside in the country, receiving temporary protection in Estonia.
Why the number of refugees is decreasing
According to Liis Valtu, the head of the Department of Police and Border Guard's Identification and Status Unit, this year the number of Ukrainian refugees has decreased compared to the beginning of the war.
"The number of new people arriving in Estonia and seeking protection here has also decreased," she said, adding that after the start of the major war, many refugees traveled through Estonia to other countries, and some of them returned home, as reported by the border service.
Valtu also mentioned that it is difficult to provide an exact number of refugees who have returned to Ukraine, but we see people who previously received protection and residence permits from us and went, moved to other countries, lived there for some time, or returned home.
"But among them are those who have returned to Estonia and are applying for a residence permit again. That is, when they see that the situation at home is still difficult, that it is impossible to live there safely, they return," she noted.
Situation with refugees from Ukraine in Estonia
In January, it became known that Estonia plans to redirect Ukrainian resettlers to Finland. The two neighboring countries have been negotiating this issue since December of last year.
In winter, it was also reported that the arrival of Ukrainian refugees in Estonia has significantly slowed down. More Ukrainian refugees are leaving this Baltic country than entering it.
In March, RBC-Ukraine reported that Ukrainian refugees in Estonia are being provided with apartments, and municipal housing is being renovated for them. The publication described the living conditions there.
