[France24] France is taking its share of Ukrainian refugees with locals in Paris stepping up to help as the refugee crisis escalates. FRANCE 24 met some of those fleeing the war and the Parisians who are helping them navigate the French system at the only "Welcome Ukraine" centre in the French capital.
The war in Ukraine has stunned the world and triggered unprecedented international solidarity with millions of people fleeing Russian bombs ever since the conflict broke out on February 24. While the humanitarian response has been swift, resources in countries where Ukrainians have sought refuge are being stretched.
"The Paris prefecture is closed over the weekend", a group of security guards informs a small gathering of disoriented Ukrainian refugees upon their arrival at the "Welcome Ukraine" centre at Porte de Versailles, in south-west Paris on Saturday. The Paris municipal website says the centre is open seven days a week, from 9 am to 6 pm, but today its administrative services are closed. Only the Ukrainians in need of housing are accepted. The refugees who arrive at the centre stoically accept the news and exit meekly out through the gates of the pavilion, clutching their personal belongings and identification papers.
Martine and her husband Pierre, who are French citizens, have come to the centre with Ukrainian refugees Svetlana, 53 years old, and her daughter Alyssa, 19 years old. All four of them seem at a loss as to what to do next after learning that the administrative branches of the centre are closed. They linger in the sunshine of the early spring morning and exchange phone numbers with an authoritative Russian-speaking woman who has showed up with another group of refugees and provides advice on how to navigate the labyrinth of French bureaucracy. |