Some Ukrainian refugees fleeing the Russian invasion in their country are being allowed entry to the United States through its southern border crossing with Mexico, despite an American policy to turn away most asylum seekers.
Some Ukrainians are banking on the U.S. to let them in during these challenging times. According to Jesus Ruiz Uribe, the Mexican government's delegate for Baja California state, at least 310 Ukrainian refugees have reached Tijuana by air this month, with most if not all of them hoping to enter the U.S. soon.
The U.S.-Mexico border, however, has been closed to most asylum seekers since a pandemic-era policy known as Title 42 was implemented. There is good news, though, for Ukrainian refugees. CBS News has obtained a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) memo instructing U.S. authorities along the Mexican border to consider exempting Ukrainian refugees from a pandemic-related restriction to enter the United States to seek asylum.
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Dasha Krasiuk, 14, spoke to Al Jazeera's John Holman in the Mexican border town of Tijuana about her family's attempt to enter the United States. The teenager is traveling alongside her father and mother with the family seeking safety after Russian troops attacked the southern Ukrainian city of Mykolaiv.
It was a long and arduous journey for Krasiuk and her parents as they first traveled through Moldova, then went to Romania before boarding a plane bound for Mexico. Mexico has been a popular destination for Ukrainian refugees nowadays as they do not need a visa to enter that country.
Number of Ukrainian refugees rising as Putin's war continues
Krasiuk recalled the difficulties of their journey, saying, "It was hot. We were in the car for three nights because we were in the queue to leave Ukraine." Krasiuk's family was eventually allowed entry into the United States, where they are planning to join a relative, her grandfather, who currently lives in Los Angeles, California.
The number of Ukrainian refugees continues to rise, with the war in their country showing no signs of stopping. According to the United Nations refugee agency, more than 3.16 million civilians have now fled the war-torn country since the military invasion started.
The latest numbers show majority of the Ukrainian refugees have sought refuge in neighboring countries in Europe. As of March 16, Poland has taken in 1,916,545 refugees, making it the most popular destination for Ukrainian civilians fleeing the war.
At least 491,409 Ukrainian refugees have crossed over to Romania, while the Republic of Moldova has taken in 350,886 refugees from Ukraine. Hungary and Slovakia have also taken in their fair share of Ukrainian refugees. Some 282,611 displaced people have gone to Hungary, while 228,844 Ukrainian refugees have crossed the border to Slovakia.
Filipo Grandi, the UN high commissioner for refugees, has called this the fastest-growing refugee crisis in Europe since World War 2. With the number of Ukrainian refugees expected to soar even further in the coming weeks, it is paramount for other countries outside the European bloc to do their share and take in people as well from the troubled nation.
