The Nigerian Government says its diplomatic mission in Bucharest, Romania has received 130 citizens fleeing Ukraine since Sunday.
Since the confrontation between Moscow and Kiev intensified last week, over 5,000 Nigerians living in the Ukraine have been on their way to nearby countries to escape the violence.
Gabriel Aduda, permanent secretary for the Nigerian Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs indicated in a statement that 74 Nigerians were also received at Budapest, Hungary and another 52 in Warsaw, Poland.
On Sunday, the ministry announced in a statement that Hungary and Romania approved visa-free access to all Nigerians coming from Ukraine.
On Tuesday, the Portuguese Government also announced that refugees from Ukraine (Ukrainian and non-Ukrainian alike) who arrive in Portugal will be admitted without visas and immediately given access to the country’s national health and social security services.
The country’s cabinet minister, Mariana Vieira indicated that the fast track system was designed to meet the basic needs of the people fleeing the war in Ukraine, including housing, employment, healthcare and schooling.
Antonio Costa, the country’s prime minister, had promised last week to help refugees from Ukraine seeking refuge from the conflict by easing visa requirements alongside Hungary and Romania. Portugal is home to about 30,000 Ukranians, the country’s fifth largest foreign community.
Vieira stated that the temporary protection measures for refugees (including non-Ukrainian families) would initially last a year, but could be extended. The country’s foreign minister stated that “Portugal is totally open to welcoming thousands of Ukrainian refugees.
Portugal’s labour minister, Ana Mendes, also stated on Tuesday that a web based platform for companies to offer jobs to Ukrainian refugees had listed more than 2,000 vacancies within 24 hours of going online. Both measures are part of the government’s ‘Portugal for Ukraine’ initiative.
