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The area surrounding their hometown of Sloviansk in Donbas​ was involved in intense fighting, with Russian forces unleashing attacks. They are now staying with their daughter in Auckland.

But their temporary visas will expire next year and they are scared they will be made to return. Read more

With Poland in the middle of a huge refugee crisis, Bishop Krzysztof Zadarko is asking "where's the support?"

Millions of Ukrainian refugees have been pouring across Poland's border since the 24 February Russian invasion.

There's been no support at all from the EU and other member countries, Zadarko says.

Zadarko, who chairs the Polish bishops' council for migration, tourism and pilgrimages, says systemic and long-term help is needed.

Just why this should be is a mystery to him.

He also sees an urgent need for Poland to get organised to deal with what is becoming an established problem.

"It is necessary to create a systemic, long-term and structural aid secured legally and financially — a programme based on a coherent migration policy," he says.

Some facts

• Since 24 February, over six million people have fled Ukraine. Thousands arrive each day.
• Over three million refugees have sought sanctuary in Poland, which has 38 million citizens.
• This is Europe's biggest refugee crisis since the Second World War.
• Poland has been a member of the EU since 2004. The EU includes 27 member states.

Aid from the Catholic Church

"The scale of humanitarian aid provided by the Catholic Church in Poland is enormous" says Zadarko.

"There is no parish that would not join in the aid — whether by accepting refugees or organising collections of money and in-kind donations.

"As the Church, we strive to understand and fulfil the words of Jesus: ‘I was a stranger and you welcomed me.'"

He went on: "The whole society is involved in helping. We all feel the same desire to help the poor and the needy."

International aid volunteers

"It is important to note the very large participation of volunteers from all over the world, especially at the reception point," says Zadarko.

Everyone has become a volunteer in Poland since February, he says. At the same time he is concerned Poland still lacks a professionally organised volunteer network.

It's almost three months after the outbreak of war, after all.

"Spontaneous help, which has become today a formula, even a brand of our form of assistance, is good for a short time," he says.

"We can appeal for solidarity and perseverance in this help which is very much needed today, because the natural condition of society is weakening and exhausting, it encounters the obstacle of burnout and fatigue."

What's needed though is long-term support for Ukrainian refugees living in Poland, he stresses.

"We will continue to appeal not to forget about those who are already among us today, but also about the thousands of people who reach us every day from Ukraine."

Source

• Catholic News Agency
• Image: The Times of Israel

"Let us think of these women and children who in time, without work, separated from their husbands, will be sought out by the ‘vultures' of society. Please, let us protect them," tweeted Pope Francis.

Catholic aid workers' concerns are being broadcast by police.

In Germany, they have been warning for weeks that aid workers, volunteers and refugees should be vigilant at areas where refugees arrive.

They are also tweeting warnings to women and unaccompanied young people in German, Russian and Ukrainian saying they must beware of "suspicious offers of accommodation — contact official agencies only."

Their warnings are timely.

As hundreds of Ukrainian refugees arrive at Munich's main station each day, they run the gauntlet of human traffickers who mingle with aid workers, volunteers and ordinary citizens.

According to several reports, an increasing number of men who want to force women into prostitution are offering "assistance" at the stations.

"Here at the main station, a lot is being done — there is a specialised counselling centre 24 hours a day," the head of the Catholic Railway Station Mission in Munich says.

She and her Protestant counterpart are responsible for the ecumenical refugee reception centre at the station.

"We are on site 24 hours a day; Caritas is here 24 hours a day. It is publicly pointed out in multilingual flyers that the women should be careful. The police are on site. It is not a mass phenomenon, but we have already experienced isolated cases of attempted human trafficking and could be of help to prevent it. I am confident that we have this problem under control here, but it does exist."

Another Caritas spokesperson, said, "There is definitely an attempt to approach these women with their children."

At Berlin's main railway station, mostly older men have been seen holding up signs with offers of accommodation and overnight stays for women, just like real helpers. Suspicions are roused, though, when they show their signs only to certain women. Sometimes they also offer money.

The police have banned certain men from the station premises - but as they haven't committed any crimes, the police could not act further.

On March 15, Valiant Richey (the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe's special representative and coordinator for combating human trafficking) gathered representatives of 17 European countries affected by the humanitarian crisis.

The governments of Austria, France, Germany, Romania and Slovakia report monitoring online searches after a spike was noted in people seeking Ukrainian women for sex and marriage. They also distributed leaflets translated into Ukrainian to inform people on the move of their rights and options.

Unfortunately, the warnings sometimes cause the refugees to distrust innocent parties and genuine offers of help.

Source

• Catholic News Service
• Image: Berlin.de