The number of Ukrainians seeking refuge in the United States is quickly approaching six figures, according to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
The citizenship agency recently published a report that more than 82,000 Ukrainians and "their immediate family members have been paroled into the United States under the U4U process."
The USCIS report also stated it has confirmed the "the financial suitability of over 177,000 supporters for the Uniting for Ukraine."
Under the U4U process, Ukrainians are permitted to stay within the United States for at least two years.
This is part of a larger wave of Ukrainians seeking refuge in countries. The number of registered Ukrainian refugees fleeing to America to escape the Russian war of aggression pales in comparison to Ukraine's neighboring, friendly countries, that have also been a place of refuge.
Poland has led the way with more than 1.5 million Ukraine refugees, according to the Ukraine media site Pravda. Next is Germany, which has welcomed 1.03 million refugees.
Where does the United States stand among European countries? Not close. Not yet at least. There are 173,000 registered refugees in Italy, another 154,000 in Spain and a further 119,000 registered in France.
In all, there are about 7 million Ukrainians who have fled their country after the war began on February. The attacks have decimated towns and separated families all over the country.
The USCIS has implemented new measures for refugees seeking asylum in the United States. These include new temporary protection status (TPS) designations, redesignations, and extensions, including for Afghanistan, Burma, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Haiti, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Ukraine, Venezuela and Yemen.
The United States has already approved half of the total 483,000 TPS applications filed in the past fiscal year until now.
According to the Ukraine armed forces, there have been more than 94,000 Russian deaths since the full-scale war in Ukraine began in February. The war has entered its 292nd day and 10th month.
Russia amassed troops along Ukraine's northern and western borders in late January while it also conducted military exercises with neighboring Belarus. Russia attacked Ukraine on February 24 this year and there have been heavy casualties on both sides.
Belarus has been an ally of Russia the entire time and has provided airspace and territory for Russian missile strikes into Ukraine, the general staff noted.
Since the war began, Russia has failed to overtake Kyiv, Lviv and Odesa, but their troops have occupied many regions in the eastern portion of Ukraine. Russia has occupied most of the Donbas Oblast, which includes Luhansk, Severodonetsk, Donetsk and Mariupol. They occupied the Crimea peninsula in 2014.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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Scott McDonald is a Newsweek deputy night editor based in Cape Coral, Florida. His focus is assigning and writing stories ... Read more
