title: Iron Chef

text: Throughout the cook-off, running commentary is made in a booth near the cooking area by an announcer, Kenji Fukui; a commentator, Yukio Hattori, and one or two of the guest judges, with one floor reporter (sometimes two; normally Shinichiro Ohta) providing details of the action on each side. The commentators and judges discuss the style of cooking, culinary traditions and unusual food preparation. At the end of the hour, after end-of-battle interviews with both competitors, each dish is presented to the camera, with a description of its properties (written by the show's screenwriters based on the chef's explanation) read by the announcer. Then, a panel of three (later expanded to four, and later still, five) judges, of which typically one is a professional critic, tastes the dishes and judges them based on taste, presentation, and originality. Each chef may be awarded up to 20 points by each judge, with 10 given for taste and five each for presentation and originality. The chef with the greatest score wins the competition. (In earlier four-judge episodes, the win went to the chef who won three of the four judges, or, failing that, the chef who makes the highest points total.)


title: Iron Chef

text: Chairman Kaga tastes the dishes along with the judges. While he occasionally makes comments and seeks input from judges during tasting, he generally does not participate in scoring; he did do so, however, during the "2000th Dish" Battle. During this episode, a team of French cuisine chefs—captain Hiroyuki Sakai, the original Iron Chef French Yutaka Ishinabe, and former challenger Etsuo Joh—battled a team of Chinese cuisine chefs composed of captain Chen Kenichi, former challenger Sozo Myamoto, and former challenger Yuji Wakiya (who would later be Iron Chef Chinese on the 2012 revival). To break the tie, Chairman Kaga asked them to allow him this one instance of selfishness, and he cast his vote for the French team.


title: Iron Chef

text: In the case of a deadlock (as was possible during the era of the four-judge panel), first place is awarded to the chef with the greater number of points. On the rare occasions that the scores were also tied, an immediate "overtime battle" was held to determine the winner. In overtime, the chefs are given 30 minutes to prepare dishes with a different key ingredient, having to make do with what remains of their pantry or with items that were previously prepared for the main battle. The overtime battles are aired as a separate episode. On one occasion, the overtime battle itself resulted in a tie, prompting Chairman Kaga to declare both the Iron Chef and challenger winners.


title: Iron Chef

text: The stage setting for the show, , the high-quality (and sometimes very expensive) ingredients used in the cooking battles, and Kaga's extravagant costumes required the show to have a budget far higher than those of most other cooking shows. Some statistics: 893 portions of "foie gras", 54 sea bream, 827 "Ise" shrimp, 964 "matsutake" mushrooms, 4,593 eggs, 1,489 truffles, 4,651 g of caviar, and 84 pieces of shark fin were used during the show, bringing the total grocery bill to ¥843,354,407 (or about $7,115,520). One of the most expensive battles was Battle Swallow's Nest, which ran over $40,000 solely for that ingredient, not counting large quantities of shark's fin; for the battle, the producers were permitted to return any unused portions to Hattori Nutrition College.


title: Iron Chef

text: For the show's grand finale, aired from September 10, 1999, to September 24, 1999, the Iron Chefs faced off against each other in a three-part battle, with the winner to face French chef Alain Passard, owner of Michelin three-star restaurant L’Arpege, with the winner dubbed the "King of Iron Chefs".


title: Iron Chef

text: In the first round, Iron Chef Chinese Chen defeated Iron Chef Italian Kobe in Battle Pork (Tokyo X). In the second round, Iron Chef French Sakai defeated Iron Chef Japanese Morimoto in Battle Bell Pepper. In the final match, Sakai defeated Chen in Battle Homard Lobster and was dubbed "King of Iron Chefs." Prior to that episode, Sakai had never won a lobster battle.


title: Iron Chef

text: In the final bonus match in Kitchen Stadium, with all of the current and previous Iron Chefs looking on, Iron Chef French Sakai defeated Alain Passard in Battle Long-Gang Chicken. Thus, Hiroyuki Sakai was dubbed as both "King of Iron Chefs" and "The No. 1 in the World."


title: Iron Chef

text: Two reunion specials were produced in 2000. The first was "The Millennium Special"; the second was "New York Special", staged in a makeshift Kitchen Stadium at Webster Hall in New York City, and was the first appearance of Bobby Flay. The New York special also included Michiba and Morimoto on Gordon Elliott's "Door Knock Dinners" (with footage aired on both shows) surprising a family in Rye by preparing dinner for them with just leftovers and other items in the family's refrigerator. Another reunion episode of the show (entitled "Iron Chef: 21st Century Battle") was produced and broadcast in 2001. A final reunion episode was produced and broadcast in 2002, entitled "The Japan Cup".


title: Iron Chef

text: Sakai, Chen, Kobe and Michiba, along with celebrity chefs including Chen's son Chen Kentaro and Singaporean patissier Janice Wong, also participated in an Iron Chef All Stars charity dinner at the Sydney Opera House in August 2017 that raised $26,500 (AUD) for Opportunity International Australia and was eventually Kobe's last Iron Chef event before his death.


title: Iron Chef

text: Starting around 1997, "Iron Chef" was shown, on KTSF in San Francisco, KSCI in Long Beach, as well as stations in Hawaii and the New York City area, in its original Japanese version with English subtitles, and quickly became a cult hit. In summer of 1998, the show stopped using subtitles; Fuji TV released a statement saying that the show was intended as a "service to the Japanese community abroad" and due to Japanese copyright laws were to be aired without subtitles, which had previously been provided "inadvertently."


title: Iron Chef

text: While always a success in Japan, "Iron Chef" became a surprise hit in the United States when it was picked up by the Food Network in 1999 and dubbed into English. Part of the U.S. appeal was due to the dubbing, which gave the show a campy charm that evoked English-dubbed Chinese kung fu movies of the 1970s. Audiences also found amusing some of the over-the-top culinary concoctions regularly featured on the show, eventually leading to a spoof on "Saturday Night Live".


title: Iron Chef

text: The show was presented in the United States and Canada on the Food Network, dubbed and/or subtitled into English. It is also actively broadcast on SBS TV in Australia. In the case of SBS, this is unusual as the network has a policy favouring in-house subtitling. It may be felt that the tone given to the show by its American dub is essential to its charms, heightened perhaps by the fact that in most episodes, the flamboyant Chairman is subtitled instead of dubbed. However, episodes aired since February 2009 have seen the Chairman's voice dubbed rather than subtitled as was the case in previous airings, except when he sends the chefs into battle.


title: Iron Chef

text: The show was broadcast on the Finnish channel SubTV, and the Swedish channel TV400 (TV4). "Iron Chef" was also broadcast on Challenge in the UK in 2003 and 2004, as part of its "Japanese Christmas Cracker" and "Japanorama" strands.


title: Iron Chef

text: The show had again aired in the U.S. on the Fine Living Network from May 5, 2008, until the channel went off the air on May 30, 2010; however, the music from earlier broadcasts, taken from the film "Backdraft", had been replaced due to music-licensing issues with NBC Universal. The Cooking Channel picked up the series on June 1, 2010, when it replaced Fine Living. The stations that have carried the series, Fine Living, Cooking Channel, and Food Network, are all owned by Scripps Networks Interactive.


title: Iron Chef

text: FilmRise acquired the exclusive rights to the original Iron Chef episodes in October 2021. The following month, episodes began streaming for free on Paramount's Pluto TV service.


title: Iron Chef

text: Since the acquisition by FilmRise, Iron Chef has begun to appear on U.S. Streaming services. As of June 2022, this includes FuboTV, Peacock and Amazon Prime (via Freevee). These episodes are not presented in strict broadcast order. These episodes are dubbed and have different music than the original Backdraft track. It is unclear if these are all of the dubbed episodes that were made.


title: Iron Chef

text: For Amazon Freevee at least, the correct mapping of seasons/episodes to chronological broadcast order are (original episode information from List of Iron Chef episodes:


title: Iron Chef

text: Also Season 4 Episodes 1 - 2 are retrospective episodes on the history of Iron Chef Japanese Rokusaburo Michiba (Season 4 Episode 1) and Iron Chefs Chinese Chen Kenichi and French Hiroyuki Sakai (Season 4 Episode 2) that were apparently made for US audiences and not part of the original Japanese broadcast.


title: Iron Chef

text: Certain challengers have made repeat appearances, or have been particularly memorable (including if they were the lone chefs specializing in their particular cuisines in the show's history).


title: Iron Chef

text: The result of a battle may be influenced by the lineup of judges, which changes from show to show. A list of some of the more notable judges, some of which were previous Iron Chefs or challengers, includes:


title: Iron Chef

text: During the 2,000th Dish Battle, Chairman Kaga selected the five best and three worst dishes from the history of the show.


title: Iron Chef

text: In 2012, Fuji Television announced that it was recording new episodes of "Iron Chef". The first episode debuted on October 26, 2012 as a two-hour special, thereafter reverting to a one-hour show airing on Friday evenings at 19:57 Japan time. Unlike the original "Ryōri no Tetsujin", the new show was titled Iron Chef (アイアンシェフ) in katakana characters. The Chairman's role was assumed by Japanese actor Hiroshi Tamaki. Fuji TV commentator Mizuki Sano hosted the program, and the reporters were Yurika Mita and Daisuke Miyagawa. Dr. Yukio Hattori returned from the original "Iron Chef" series to provide commentary. Three new Iron Chefs were chosen; Jun Kurogi as Iron Chef Japanese, Yūji Wakiya as Iron Chef Chinese, and Yōsuke Suga as Iron Chef French.


title: Iron Chef

text: The first battle in the new show was a two-hour special with two battles. The first challenger was former Kitchen Stadium challenger (referred as "nominee") Kenichi Miyanaga, recommended by Iron Chef Rokusaburo Michiba. Miyanaga is Michiba's top apprentice and battled Iron Chef Suga. The challenger ("nominee") in the second battle was Kentaro Chen, recommended by his father Iron Chef Chen Kenichi, who battled Iron Chef Wakiya.


title: Iron Chef

text: It was announced, after airing thirteen episodes, that the new run of Iron Chef would be discontinued after the last episode on March 22, 2013. Mr. Tatematsu, General Manager of Editing, explained, "Iron Chef is a high quality show and we can say it is FujiTV's treasure. Currently we are struggling for the ratings. We think we have a time slot problem, too, so we would like to consider about a way to make it as special program and forward it into the next stage." On July 3, 2013 the Iron Chefs reunited for an American Chef Special with beef as the secret ingredient. All three Iron Chefs were paired with an American challenger, and then for a fourth round, all six competed. Currently, there are no plans for any more Iron Chef specials.


title: Iron Chef

text: Around Christmas 2001, the UPN network presented two one-hour episodes of "Iron Chef USA" hosted by William Shatner as "The Chairman of the American Culinary Academy." Competition took place inside "Kitchen Arena" (built in Garden Arena in the Las Vegas MGM Grand Hotel). Commentary was provided by Michael Burger and Anthony Dias Blue, with floor reporting by Sissy Biggers. The show featured four Iron Chefs: Iron Chef American Todd English (whose specialty is actually Mediterranean food), Iron Chef French Jean Francois Meteigner, Iron Chef Italian Alessandro Stratta, and Iron Chef Asian Roy Yamaguchi. In the show's only two battles, English defeated Kerry Simon in a dungeness crab battle, and Stratta defeated Marcus Samuelsson in a turkey battle.


title: Iron Chef

text: These shows were neither a critical nor popular success, perhaps because the show focused little on cooking—a major part of the Japanese program. The show had a small audience section with bleachers, and the audience yelled relentlessly during the show (sounding much like a sports audience). Shatner walked around the kitchen sampling the more expensive items, the chefs refused to say what they were doing, and the cameras rarely showed the food preparation.


title: Iron Chef

text: In 2004, Food Network announced that it would air an Iron Chef special, called "Iron Chef America: Battle of the Masters", featuring Sakai and Morimoto dueling with American Iron Chefs Bobby Flay, Mario Batali, and Wolfgang Puck, all Food Network personalities and renowned American celebrity chefs. (Morimoto and Flay battled in two previous Iron Chef specials that were made after the original series aired.) The specials featured Alton Brown as the announcer and Mark Dacascos playing the role of The Chairman (in the storyline, this Chairman is the nephew of Takeshi Kaga).


title: Iron Chef

text: The show received high ratings and rave reviews and in October 2004, and Food Network began taping weekly episodes that premiered starting in January 2005. Some changes were made to the show, most notably replacing Puck with Morimoto as an Iron Chef (a fourth Iron Chef, Cat Cora, was added later), and the location was moved from Los Angeles to New York City. The fifth Iron Chef, Michael Symon, was added after his win in "The Next Iron Chef". In 2009, Chef Jose Garces became the sixth Iron Chef following his own victory in the second season of that show. In 2010, Chef Marc Forgione won its third season, becoming the seventh Iron Chef on Iron Chef America. Chef Geoffrey Zakarian won that show's fourth season in 2011, making him the eighth Iron Chef. In 2012, Chef Alexandra Guarnaschelli, who had served as Sous Chef on Iron Chef episodes, became the ninth after winning the fifth season of "The Next Iron Chef", while Stephanie Izard became the tenth and final Iron Chef.


title: Iron Chef

text: Even though both Todd English and Kerry Simon from "Iron Chef USA" competed on "Iron Chef America", the episodes did not mention their IC-USA appearances.


title: Iron Chef

text: "Iron Chef Gauntlet" is a two season reformat of "Iron Chef America" where seven chefs from around the country compete in an elimination contest, with the last chef remaining facing a "gauntlet" challenge of defeating three other Iron Chefs in order to earn the title. It aired from 2017 to 2018


title: Iron Chef

text: "Iron Chef Showdown" was a reimagining of "America" that also aired on Food Network for a single season of 10 episodes from 2017 to 2018.


title: Iron Chef

text: "Iron Chef: Quest for an Iron Legend" premiered on Netflix on June 15, 2022. Brown and Dacascos return to their respective roles, with Brown now joined by chef Kristen Kish as co-host. There will be eight episodes.


title: Iron Chef

text: In 2007, Krav Sakinim (, Knife Fight), a show based on Iron Chef, began airing on Israel's Channel 10. Each episode features a different prominent Israeli chef, who competes against one of the show's featured foreign chefs. All Israeli winners compete against one another in the finals and the winner competes against a foreign chef for the title of season champion. Season 1 featured only French chef Stéphane Froidevaux, who won the season's finale, while season 2 saw the inclusion of Italian chef Alfredo Russo, meaning both Michelin star holders would have to compete against each other for a spot in the final bout. The show is actively hosted by actor Oded Menashe and the regular commentators are chef Yaron Kastenboim and catering company owner Ran Shmueli. While in season 1, the panel of judges was made up mostly of celebrities from the entertainment industry, season 2 features renowned persons from the culinary industry, such as restaurant critics and chefs. The competitors prepare a three-course meal, with each dish given a score of up to 10 points by each member of the panel and commentators, accumulating up to 150 points per chef (compared to 90 points in season 1, where the commentators had relatively more points to give).


title: Iron Chef

text: In 2010, UK public television network Channel 4 debuted Iron Chef UK, based on Iron Chef. The show airs five days a week, and is hosted by Olly Smith and Nick Nairn. The four Iron Chefs are Tom Aikens, Martin Blunos, Sanjay Dwivedi and Judy Joo. Like the original Iron Chef, the competitions are held in Kitchen Stadium and presided over by The Chairman. Judging occurs in two rounds, with the first round being appetizers, and the second being the main courses. Two challengers prepare the appetizer, producing one appetizer each, while the Iron Chef prepares two. These are judged, and the standing for the team versus the Iron Chef are announced. Then the second half begins: the challenging team and the Iron Chef return to the kitchen to prepare the main course. The two challengers each prepare one dish, while the Iron Chef prepares two. Judging resumes, and the results are announced. Either the Challenging team wins, or the Iron Chef wins in overall score, and the best dish from the challenging team is also announced. The challengers with the best dish returns on Friday to compete against the best Iron Chef of the week.


title: Iron Chef

text: The Seven Network announced in August 2010 that an Australian version was planned, in part to capitalize on the success of the highly popular "MasterChef Australia".


title: Iron Chef

text: The Australian Iron Chefs were Neil Perry, Guy Grossi and Guillaume Brahimi, while the show features a static judging panel composed of food critics Larissa Dubecki, Simon Thomsen and Leo Schofield. Mark Dacascos reprises his role as The Chairman from "Iron Chef America", and the program is hosted by Grant Denyer, with additional commentary provided by Richard Cornish.


title: Iron Chef

text: "Iron Chef Australia" began airing on October 19, 2010, attracting an audience of 1.13 million viewers for its first episode.


title: Iron Chef

text: On January 25, 2012, the first episode of Iron Chef Thailand broadcast on BBTV channel 7. The chairman is Mr. Santi Svetavimala. In this version of Iron Chef, there are four Iron Chefs: Chumpol Chaengprai (Thai cuisine); Boontham Pakpo (Japanese cuisine); Pongtawat "Ian" Chalermkittichai (Western cuisine); and Chaitep "Mr. Lee" Pattarapornpaisarn (Chinese cuisine). The program is hosted by Shahkrit Yamnam and the field reporter is DJ Pong (Nattapong Taengkasem). The format is different, in that in the first half of the program, there are three challengers who compete with each other to find out who is the best chef. The winner will compete against the Iron Chef on the second half of the program. This format was used for only three episodes.


title: Iron Chef

text: On February 22, 2012 the format of Iron Chef Thailand was changed to: the first 30 minutes of the program is where the Challenger Chef will present his/her "Signature Dish with a Special Ingredient" to the guests. Then followed by the actual "Iron Chef Battle", similar to Iron Chef Japan where the host will ask the Challenger Chef to select the Iron Chef he/she wants to challenge. After the Challenger Chef has selected the Iron Chef the Chairman will reveal the "Secret Ingredient" and once the Chairman says "Allez Cuisine" the battle begins. The battle time is 60 minutes where they will need to complete at least four dishes. The order in which Chefs present to the Judges will be determined by a coin toss conducted by the Host. The last 30 minutes of the program is "Cooking with Iron Chef". Guests learn how to cook from the Iron Chef and win the "Best Student" at the end of the program.


title: Iron Chef

text: The Vietnamese version was set to air from June 6, 2012 on VTV3. In this version there are only three Iron Chefs: David Thái, Long Chef and Yu Zhi Da. The ultimate winner would be a 2013 Iron Chef.


title: Iron Chef

text: The first Indonesian adaptation of "Iron Chef" series, also known as "Allez Cuisine", which came from Chairman Kaga's catchphrase in the original series, was aired on Indosiar from March 1, 2003 until August 12, 2006. The Kitchen Stadium owner role was played by Derry Drajat, and the main commentator was Gunardjo, an Indonesian food expert. The show featured three Super Chefs or Iron Chefs. Episodes were 1 hour long. The show also featured a mini-game segment with 6 competitors featuring the main ingredient of the episode. The mini game segment usually lasts for 2 minutes. After the main cooking segment was finished, the Super Chef will give verdict on the results of the mini-game and declare the mini-game winner.


title: Iron Chef

text: The second "Iron Chef" series or known as "Iron Chef Indonesia" was aired on RCTI from April 22, 2017 until November 19, 2017. Just like the first series, the concept of this show was still a battle between one of the three Super Chefs or Iron Chefs that has been selected by a Challenger Chef to served the three or four dishes with a predetermined main ingredients. The winner will be announced by the chairman based on the scores that have been given by the guest judges. The chairman role was played by Edward Akbar, the field reporter by Yuda Bustara, and the commentator by Kevindra Prianto Soemantri, with guest judges selected from chefs, celebrities, businesspersons, and executives every week.


title: Iron Chef

text: On October 17, 2018, "Iron Chef Canada" premiered on Food Network Canada, the first Iron Chef spin-off in Canada.


title: Iron Chef

text: The Chairman in this version is Jai West (in the storyline, the Chairman is the grandnephew of Takeshi Kaga). It is hosted by Gail Simmons, with play-by-play done by floor reporter Chris Nuttall-Smith. The Iron Chefs in this version include Hugh Acheson, Amanda Cohen, Lynn Crawford, Rob Feenie, Susur Lee, and Anna Olson.


title: Iron Chef

text: 1) Both the Iron Chef and the challenger must serve their first dish to the panel of judges within the first 20 minutes of competition (the Chairman does not taste these dishes). This dish is scored separately from the remainder of the dishes.


title: Iron Chef

text: 2) With 30 minutes remaining in the competition, the Chairman introduces a "culinary curve ball," a kitchen device or an additional ingredient which the chefs must use for at least one of their remaining dishes.


title: Iron Chef

text: Iron Chef: Brazil was first announced alongside "Quest for an Iron Legend" and "Mexico". The series debuted on August 10, 2022.


title: Spanish royal family

text: The Spanish royal family consists of King Felipe VI, Queen Letizia, their children (Leonor, Princess of Asturias and Infanta Sofía of Spain), and Felipe's parents, King Juan Carlos I and Queen Sofía. The royal family lives at Zarzuela Palace in Madrid, although their official residence is the Royal Palace of Madrid. The membership of the royal family is defined by royal decree and consists of: the King of Spain, the monarch's spouse, the monarch's parents, and the heir to the Spanish throne.


title: Spanish royal family

text: <nowiki>*</nowiki> - Member of the Royal Family (as opposed to the Family of the King, or extended family)


title: Spanish royal family

text: Members of the Spanish Royal Family are often asked by non-profit charitable, cultural, or religious organizations within and without Spain to become their patrons, a role the Spanish constitution recognizes and codified in Title II Article 62 (j). It is incumbent for the monarch "to exercise the High Patronage of the Royal Academies". Royal patronage conveys a sense of official credibility as the organization is scrutinized for suitability. A royal presence often greatly raises the profile of the organization and attracts media publicity and public interest that the organization may not have otherwise garnered, aiding in the charitable cause or cultural event. Royalty make use of their considerable celebrity to assist the organization to raise funds or to promote government policy.


title: Spanish royal family

text: Additionally, members of the royal family may also pursue their own charitable and cultural interests. Queen Sofía devotes much of her time to the Queen Sofia Foundation ("Fundación Reina Sofía"); while Leonor, Princess of Asturias presents the annual Princess of Asturias Awards ("Premios Princesa de Asturias"), which aims to promote "scientific, cultural and humanistic values that form part of mankind's universal heritage." The Princess of Asturias Foundation ("Fundación Princesa de Asturias") holds the annual Princess of Asturias Awards acknowledging the contributions of individuals, entities, and/or organizations from around the world who make notable achievements in the sciences, humanities, or public affairs.


title: Spanish royal family

text: King Felipe VI serves as president of the Organization of Ibero-American States which hosts the annual Ibero-American Summit, serves as president of the Codespa Foundation, which finances specific economic and social development activities in Latin American and other countries, and serves as president of the Spanish branch of the Association of European Journalists, which is composed of achieving communications professionals. King Felipe VI also serves as honorary chair of the Ministry of Culture National Awards Ceremonies.


title: Spanish royal family

text: Infanta Elena, Duchess of Lugo, Juan Carlos' elder daughter, is the Director of Cultural and Social Projects of Mapfre Foundation, while Infanta Cristina, Juan Carlos' younger daughter, served as the Goodwill Ambassador to the United Nations for the 2nd World Assembly on Ageing, and is a member of the Dali Foundation Board of Trustees, president of the International Foundation for Disabled Sailing, and Director of Social Welfare at the La Caixa Foundation in Barcelona where she lives with her family.


title: Spanish royal family

text: King Juan Carlos, Queen Sofia, and Infanta Cristina are all members of the Bilderberg Group, an informal think-tank centered on United States and European relations, and other world issues.


title: AgustaWestland AW139

text: The AgustaWestland AW139 is a medium-lift twin-engined helicopter developed and produced by the Anglo-Italian helicopter manufacturer AgustaWestland, later wholly owned by Leonardo S.p.A. It is marketed at several different roles, including VIP/corporate transport, offshore transport, fire fighting, law enforcement, search and rescue, emergency medical service, disaster relief, and maritime patrol.


title: AgustaWestland AW139

text: The AW139 was originally designed jointly by the Italian helicopter manufacturer Agusta and the American company Bell Helicopters, thus it was marketed as the Agusta-Bell AB139, but was redesignated as the AW139 after Bell withdrew from the project. In addition to AgustaWestland's manufacturing facilities in Italy and the United States, other companies are also involved in the programme, such as the Polish manufacturer PZL-Świdnik, which has produced hundreds of AW139 airframes, and HeliVert, a joint venture between AgustaWestland and Russian Helicopters, which has also established a production line inside Russia for the type. Having performed its maiden flight on 3 February 2001, the AW139 entered revenue service during 2003 and quickly proved itself to be a commercial success.


title: AgustaWestland AW139

text: Many of the AW139 customers have been in the civilian sector; large fleets have been obtained by operators such as CHC Helicopter, Gulf Helicopters, and Weststar Aviation. Its performance has enabled it to become popular amongst operators supporting the offshore oil and gas industry. A dedicated militarised model, the "AW139M", was also developed by AgustaWestland; it was first procured by the Italian Air Force, other military operators include the United States Air Force, which operates the "MH-139 Grey Wolf" model. The Japanese business Mitsui Bussan Aerospace has obtained an exclusive distribution agreement for the AW139 in the country. Over 1,100 rotorcraft had been sold by January 2021. The AW139 has been subsequently developed into the AW149, an enlarged medium-lift military-oriented rotorcraft.


title: AgustaWestland AW139

text: In 1997, the Italian helicopter manufacturer Agusta launched a programme to develop a replacement for the Bell Huey family of helicopters (which had been built in very large numbers by Bell Helicopter and under license by Agusta). A potential market of 900 aircraft was predicted. In 1998, Bell and Agusta entered into an agreement setting up a joint venture, Bell/Agusta Aerospace Company (BAAC), to develop two aircraft: a conventional helicopter and a tiltrotor aircraft. These became the Bell/Agusta AB139 and Bell/Agusta BA609 respectively. Bell was to be the leading partner for the development of the BA609 while Agusta would be the lead partner for the AB139; it was intended for production, sales, and support to be shared.


title: AgustaWestland AW139

text: On 26 September 2000, the first order for the type was placed by Bristow Helicopters. The first preproduction helicopter flew on 3 February 2001 at Vergiate in Italy, with two further AW139s also participating in flying trials. The first production AW139 made its first flight on 24 June 2002. European JAA certification was received in June 2003, and its FAA type certificate followed in December 2004. By May 2005, the AW139 had received in excess of 100 orders worldwide. In the US, the type was marketed under the designation US139, and was entered into the US Army's Light Utility Helicopter competition. One key market for the AW139 was the oil and gas industry, which required helicopters of increased endurance for offshore operations. In 2005, AgustaWestland bought out Bell's 25% share in the program and all of its rights to the AW139 for $95 million.


title: AgustaWestland AW139

text: In April 2008, AgustaWestland revealed that it was in the process of certifying an increase in the AW139's max gross weight to 14,991 lb (6,800 kg) to better compete in long-range markets served by helicopters such as the larger Sikorsky S-92 and Eurocopter EC225. In 2007, a second production line at the United States AgustaWestland Aerospace plant in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was established; the Philadelphia plant produced its 200th AW139 in September 2014, at which point U.S. production was intended to reach 40 units per year in the near future. By 2011, AgustaWestland was producing 90 AW139s per year; 9.5% of the company's overall revenue in 2010 was attributed to the type. By 2013, a combined total of 720 AW139s had been sold to over 200 operators in 60 countries.


title: AgustaWestland AW139

text: In 2011, a military-configured variant, the AW139M, was revealed by AgustaWestland. It was promoted at the US market, including for the U.S. Air Force's Common Vertical Lift Support Program. The AW139M is equipped with a high definition forward-looking infrared (FLIR), self-protection system, heavy-duty landing gear, and has low thermal and acoustic signatures; a significant proportion of the equipment is sourced from American manufacturers. Options offered include an external stores system including various armaments, armoured seats, self-sealing fuel tanks, and a full ice protection system for all-weather operations.


title: AgustaWestland AW139

text: The AW139 serves as the basis for AgustaWestland's wider business strategy, under which it aims to produce a standardised family of helicopters with common design features. The sharing of components and design philosophies is intended to simplify maintenance and training for operators; commonality also lowers the production costs. The AW139 was the first of this group, and as of 2014, it was to be joined by the larger AW149 and AW189, aimed at military and civilian customers respectively. Advances made in the development of new models are intended to be transferable onto existing family members, decreasing the cost of future upgrades for the AW139.


title: AgustaWestland AW139

text: In June 2010, it was announced that AgustaWestland and Rostvertol would build a manufacturing plant in Tomilino, Moscow Region, where it was initially planned to produce AW139s by 2012. HeliVert, a joint venture between AgustaWestland and Rostvertol, commenced domestic production of the AW139 in 2012, at which point it was planned that between 15 and 20 helicopters would be produced per year. The first AW139 to be assembled in Russia made its first flight in December 2012. In January 2013, the Russian Defense Ministry was reportedly considering placing an order for seven AW139s. In January 2014, HeliVert received a Certificate of Approval from the Aviation Register of the Interstate Aviation Committee to commence production of commercial AW139s. In September 2014, a certificate was granted to perform comprehensive maintenance and servicing of the type at the Tomilino facility.


title: AgustaWestland AW139

text: During 2015, AgustaWestland unveiled an AW139 model with an increased gross weight of seven tonnes, enabling a range of 305 km while carrying 12 passengers; existing AW139s can also be rebuilt to the newer heavy-weight model. This heavier airframe comes at the expense of decreased hot and high performance. In November 2015, AgustaWestland demonstrated a 60-minute "run-dry" test (no oil) of an AW139's main gearbox, 30 minutes greater than any other certified rotorcraft at the time.


title: AgustaWestland AW139

text: The AW139 is a conventional twin-engine multi-role helicopter. It has a five-bladed fully articulated main rotor with a titanium hub and composite blades and a four-bladed articulated tail rotor. It is fitted with retractable tricycle landing gear, the two aft wheels retracting into external sponsons which are also used to house emergency equipment. It is flown by a crew of two pilots, with up to 15 passengers accommodated in three rows of five. The AW139 had been aimed at a vacant niche in the market, sitting below larger types such as the Eurocopter AS332 Super Puma and Sikorsky S-92, and above smaller ones like the Bell 412 and Eurocopter EC155. Rotor & Wing has described the AW139's flying attitude as 'docile and predictable'.


title: AgustaWestland AW139

text: The AW139 is powered by two FADEC-controlled Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6C turboshaft engines; the FADEC system seamlessly adjusts the engines for pilot convenience and passenger comfort, and can automatically handle a single-engine failure without noticeable deviation. It was constructed with maintenance requirements in mind; critical systems can be readily accessed, where possible the number of parts has been reduced, and many components have been designed for an extended lifecycle; a Health and Usage Monitoring System (HUMS) is also equipped. More than a thousand customizable items of equipment can be configured per customer demand, including auxiliary fuel tanks, rescue hoists, cargo hooks, search and weather radar, ice protection systems, external cameras and searchlights, and seating arrangements.


title: AgustaWestland AW139

text: The AW139 cockpit is based on the modular Honeywell Primus EPIC avionics system incorporating a four LCD screen glass cockpit. Although an option on early models, most aircraft include a four-axis autopilot, which allows higher levels of automation and safety and enables advanced functions such as auto-hover. This level of automation has allowed certification for single-pilot operations under instrument flight rules conditions (SPIFR), and the cockpit can also optionally be modified for compatibility with night vision goggles. The latest version of the Primus EPIC avionics systems includes a Synthetic Vision System. Pilot training for the type is available via advanced Level D Full Flight Simulators. According to Shipping & Marine, the AW139 has "the largest cabin in its class"; containing up to 15 passengers or four litters and accompanying medics, an additional baggage compartment is used to stow equipment to keep the main cabin clear for use.


title: AgustaWestland AW139

text: Large sections of the AW139 have been developed and produced by a range of different companies. Airframes are typically produced by PZL-Świdnik, who delivered their 200th airframe in April 2014. Pratt & Whitney Canada produce the type's PT6C turboshaft engines, while the primary and secondary transmissions were developed by Westland GKN and Kawasaki Heavy Industries respectively. A significant portion of the avionics are sourced from Honeywell. Turkish Aerospace Industries has been subcontracted to manufacture various elements of the AW139, including the fuselage, canopy, and radome. Final assembly of most AW139s is performed at AgustaWestland's facilities in Philadelphia, United States, and Vergiate, Italy; those destined for customers within the Commonwealth of Independent States are typically assembled by a third final manufacturing plant in Tomilino, Moscow operated by HeliVert.


title: AgustaWestland AW139

text: The Irish Air Corps was the first military operator to introduce the AW139; it took delivery of the first of a batch of six rotorcraft during August 2006. The United Arab Emirates Air Force and the Qatar Air Force became the second and third military operators of the AW139, procuring 9 and 18 rotorcraft respectively. A specialised military variant, the AW139M, was subsequently launched, for which the Italian Air Force became the launch customer. Designated "HH-139A" in Italian service, the type has been primarily tasked with combat search and rescue (CSAR) operations. The Italian Coast Guard also placed repeat orders for the type throughout the 2010s, having reportedly ordered a total of 12 AW139s by mid-2016.


title: AgustaWestland AW139

text: During February 2006, Mitsui Bussan Aerospace signed a $100 million contract for 12 AW139s and an exclusive distribution agreement for the AW139 in Japan. In October 2006, the Japan Coast Guard announced its selection of the AW139 as the replacement for its Bell 212 search and rescue fleet; by early 2011, 18 AW139s were on order by the Japan Coast Guard through Mitsui Bussan as the distributor, a total of 24 are expected to be ordered. The Japanese National Police Agency placed multiple orders for the AW139; other organisations in the nation have used the type for electronic news gathering, firefighting, disaster relief operations. During 2016, Leonardo announced that the 50th AW139 to the Japanese market had been delivered. In March 2017, the delivery of the first Japanese VIP-configured AW139 took place to an undisclosed customer.


title: AgustaWestland AW139

text: In the North American market, CHC Helicopter was the first operator of the type. In 2012, CHC became the largest operator of the AW139 in the world, at that point operating a fleet of 44 in search and rescue, emergency medical service and offshore transport missions. In 2015, responsibility for the maintenance of CHC's AW139 fleet was reorganized under their maintenance, repair and overhaul services (MRO) division, "Heli-One"; early activities have included post-delivery modifications and engine overhauls. Heli-One has endeavoured to expand the scope of its MRO in coordination with Leonardo Helicopters, becoming an authorized component repair center by the company, and become approved to perform main gearbox work in April 2021.


title: AgustaWestland AW139

text: During October 2012, the Royal Thai Army ordered a pair of AW139s; a further eight were produced in October 2015. In September 2021, the privately-owned company Thai Aviation Services arranged the delivery of three AW139s to undertake a multi-year contract to support oil and gas extraction activities in Malaysia. In 2021, following the retirement of the Royal Malaysian Air Force's Sikorsky S-61 fleet, the service leased four AW139s as an interim replacement.


title: AgustaWestland AW139

text: Qatar-based firm Gulf Helicopters has become one of the largest AW139 operators worldwide, first ordering the type in 2007 for offshore transport duties; it has since become an authorized service center and training center for the AW139. Malaysian operator Weststar Aviation has the distinction of being the biggest operator of the AW139 in the Asia Pacific region; by February 2014, the company had ordered a total of 34 helicopters. Since taking delivery of their first AW139 in December 2010, Weststar has typically employed the type in support of offshore oil and gas operations.


title: AgustaWestland AW139

text: Numerous AW139s have been produced for operators in Russia, mainly via the HeliVert initiative. In September 2014, Exclases Russia ordered three in VIP configurations. During December 2021, it was announced that HeliVert had supplied four AW139s to the Russian state-owned defense conglomerate Rostec. In March 2022, shortly following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Leonardo Helicopters suspended its business in Russia and restricted the support available to existing operators of the type in the country.


title: AgustaWestland AW139

text: In July 2014, AgustaWestland announce that the global fleet had accumulated in excess of one million flight hours; by this milestone, a total of 770 AW139s had been produced.


title: AgustaWestland AW139

text: On 24 May 2016, AugustaWestland parent Leonardo-Finmeccanica announced that Pakistan had signed a contract for an undisclosed number of AW139s as part of a fleet renewal programme spread over several batches, including a logistic support and training package, to perform search and rescue (SAR) operations across the country. At the time of the announcement, a total of 11 AW139s were already in service in Pakistan, five of which were being operated for government relief and general transportation duties.


title: AgustaWestland AW139

text: Chinese operators have also imported the type. By February 2010, two AW139s had been ordered by both the Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau and the Shenzhen Public Security Bureau for law enforcement, disaster relief, and general transportation duties. In July 2022, it was stated that 40 AW139s had been delivered by Leonardo Helicopters to the country while the largest civil helicopter operator in China, CITIC Offshore Helicopter, operates eight AW139s alone.


title: AgustaWestland AW139

text: On 24 September 2018, the United States Air Force (USAF) announced that the MH-139, an AW139 variant, was the winner of a competition to replace the Vietnam-era Bell UH-1Ns, accordingly, the service is set to buy up to 84 MH-139s. On 19 December 2019, the USAF received the first MH-139A Grey Wolf at Eglin Air Force Base. Flight testing by the service commenced during 2020.


title: 2022 Ukrainian refugee crisis

text: An ongoing refugee crisis began in Europe in late February 2022 after Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Nearly 7.9 million refugees fleeing Ukraine have been recorded across Europe, while an estimated 8 million people had been displaced within the country by late May. Approximately one-quarter of the country's total population had left their homes in Ukraine by 20 March. 90% of Ukrainian refugees are women and children, while most Ukrainian men age 18 to 60 are banned from leaving the country. By 24 March, more than half of all children in Ukraine had left their homes, of whom a quarter had left the country. The invasion caused Europe's largest refugee crisis since World War II and its aftermath, is the first of its kind in Europe since the Yugoslav Wars in the 1990s, and is the largest refugee crisis of the 21st century, with the highest refugee flight rate globally.


title: 2022 Ukrainian refugee crisis

text: The vast majority of refugees initially entered neighbouring countries to the west of Ukraine (Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, and Moldova). Around 3 million people then moved further west to other European countries. As of 18 October, the countries receiving the largest numbers of Ukrainians are Russia (2.77 million), Poland (1.5 million), Germany (1 million) and the Czech Republic (0.4 million), with the latter now hosting the largest number of Ukrainian refugees per capita. As of September 2022, Human Rights Watch documented that Ukrainian civilians were being forcibly transferred to Russia. The UN Human Rights Office stated "There have been credible allegations of forced transfers of unaccompanied children to Russian occupied territory, or to the Russian Federation itself." The United States Department of State estimated that at least 900,000 Ukrainian citizens have been forcibly relocated to Russia. More than 4.5 million Ukrainians have returned to Ukraine since the beginning of the invasion.


title: 2022 Ukrainian refugee crisis

text: European Union (EU) countries bordering Ukraine have allowed entry to all Ukrainian refugees, and the EU has invoked the Temporary Protection Directive which grants Ukrainians the right to stay, work, and study in any European Union member state for an initial period of one year. Some non-European and Romani people have reported ethnic discrimination at the border.


title: 2022 Ukrainian refugee crisis

text: Before the invasion, the annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation and the war in the Donbas, both of which are aspects of the Russo-Ukrainian War, had already resulted in over two million refugees and internally displaced persons since 2014. They have been referred to as Europe's forgotten refugees by some media, due to their cool reception in the European Union, comparatively low asylum claim success rate and media neglect.


title: 2022 Ukrainian refugee crisis

text: More than a million of the pre-2022 refugees, mainly from Donbas, had gone to Russia between 2014 and 2016, while the number of people displaced within Ukraine had grown to 1.6 million people by early March 2016.


title: 2022 Ukrainian refugee crisis

text: For many refugees heading westward, trains played a vital role in the journey within Ukraine and into neighboring countries. Oleksandr Kamyshin, the CEO of Ukrainian Railways, which operates the majority of train services in Ukraine, estimated that within three weeks of the start of the invasion, the network had transported 2.5 million passengers. He also said at its peak, the network transported 190,000 people a day.


title: 2022 Ukrainian refugee crisis

text: To ensure trains can travel as safely as possible, the network had to constantly adapt to situations on the ground, such as if tracks are damaged by bombs or if they are no longer under Ukrainian control. Trains have to move slower because they are often overloaded to fit as many people as possible, as well as minimising the risk of hitting damaged tracks. At night, trains also turn off their lights to reduce the chance of being targeted.


title: 2022 Ukrainian refugee crisis

text: Railway companies in several European countries, including Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Switzerland, allowed Ukrainian refugees to travel by train for free.


title: 2022 Ukrainian refugee crisis

text: Other refugees traveled by motor vehicles or on foot. In some border crossings, traffic jams of several kilometres long formed. Air travel was not available in Ukraine as the country closed its airspace to civilian flights on the day of the invasion.


title: 2022 Ukrainian refugee crisis

text: The city of Lviv in the west of Ukraine became a key staging ground for refugees. Up to 100,000 refugees were arriving in the city every day, which prior to the invasion had a population of 700,000. From Lviv, trains transport refugees to border crossing points such as Medyka, Poland and Uzhhorod, close to the border with Slovakia and Hungary. From Medyka, most refugees continue to Przemyśl, Poland, and onward to the rest of Europe.


title: 2022 Ukrainian refugee crisis

text: Other major border crossings included Siret, Romania; Ocnița and Palanca, Moldova; Beregsurány, Hungary and Vyšné Nemecké, Slovakia.


title: 2022 Ukrainian refugee crisis

text: "- Note: Russian figures are based on border crossings to Russia while other figures are based on the number of ukrainian refugees living under the protection of EU law or the law of the country of residence. This inflates the number of refugees in Russia compared to the rest."


title: 2022 Ukrainian refugee crisis

text: Numbers of refugees can change quickly and are often only estimates. Movements from country to country are not necessarily registered officially. Ukrainians are allowed to travel to some countries in Europe without a visa and may be allowed to stay in the country for a longer period, without special permission. Elsewhere, they have to apply for asylum. Due to the Schengen arrangements, having entered any Schengen country, refugees can travel on to other Schengen countries without any visas or border checks.


title: 2022 Ukrainian refugee crisis

text: The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs estimated on 27 February that in two months there would be 7.5 million internally displaced people in Ukraine, 12 million people would be in need of healthcare and the number of people fleeing the war could reach 4 million. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) stated that the situation was Europe's fastest growing refugee crisis since the Second World War. By early November, according to the UNHCR, the number of Ukrainian refugees recorded across Europe was around 7.8 million. The countries receiving the largest numbers of refugees were Russia (2.9 million), Poland (1.5 million), Germany (1 million) and the Czech Republic (0.4 million).


title: 2022 Ukrainian refugee crisis

text: The communications chief of the UN High Commission for Human Rights called the speed of the exodus of refugees from Ukraine "phenomenal".


title: 2022 Ukrainian refugee crisis

text: A study by the UN agency International Organization for Migration released on 21 March found that 13.5% of displaced people had also been displaced in 2014–2015. The study found that 60% of refugee households were traveling with children, and of the nearly 10 million people displaced within and outside Ukraine on that date, 186,000 were nationals of a third country.


title: 2022 Ukrainian refugee crisis

text: Neighbouring countries are listed in order of the number of refugees who have entered them; others are listed alphabetically.


title: 2022 Ukrainian refugee crisis

text: As early as 15 February, Poland was expecting a possible Russian attack on Ukraine. The Polish government asked communities to prepare for up to a million refugees. By 25 July, more than 1.2 million Ukrainian refugees had been recorded in Poland. Poland greatly reduced the usual border formalities and said that various identity documents would be accepted"."


title: 2022 Ukrainian refugee crisis

text: Assembly points for refugees have opened in every district of Poland. Local authorities are providing free accommodation, food, and other necessary supplies. Apart from that, a huge number of citizens and organisations are voluntarily offering assistance, free accommodation and other help. Websites with information for refugees are also in Ukrainian. The government is preparing legal changes that would simplify the employment of Ukrainians in Poland, since currently a working visa is required as Ukrainians are from outside of the EU.


title: 2022 Ukrainian refugee crisis

text: President of the European Council Charles Michel visited the Polish-Ukrainian border crossing on 2 March and praised Polish efforts "to guarantee safe passages for Ukrainians, for European citizens" and those from other countries "without any discrimination." In a later interview for France Inter he denounced alleged claims of racism of Ukrainian and Polish serviceman as "Russian propaganda" and part of Russia's information warfare. (See also .) Many observers believe that most are likely to stay in Poland and other Central European countries because "tight labor markets, affordable cities and a pre-existing diaspora have made those countries more appealing alternatives for Ukrainians, who find options slimmer in Europe's west".


title: 2022 Ukrainian refugee crisis

text: The number of refugees arriving to Poland have been unparalleled in Europe. Modelling estimates show that by 1 April, Ukrainian people (including refugees but also those previously living in Poland) made up between 15% and 30% of the population of each of the major Polish cities. For example, Ukrainians accounted for 10% of the total population of Wrocław before the war and this figure had increased to 23% by April 2022.


title: 2022 Ukrainian refugee crisis

text: As of 27 May, the Romanian government had reported 989,357 Ukrainians entering Romania. Romanian Defence Minister Vasile Dîncu announced on 22 February that Romania could receive 500,000 refugees if necessary; the first refugees arrived two days later. On 15 March, Minister of Foreign Affairs Bogdan Aurescu reported that about 80,000 remained in the country.


title: 2022 Ukrainian refugee crisis

text: According to the Ukrainian authorities, Russian troops in the territories of Ukraine occupied by Russia are engaged in the forcible deportation of people from Ukraine to Russia, passing them off as refugees. According to the Russian government figures, 971,417 refugees had gone to Russia by 26 May. In March, the Ukrainian foreign ministry alleged that 2,389 Ukrainian children had been abducted from Russian-occupied territory in Donetsk and Luhansk, and transferred to Russia, as well as "several thousand" residents of Mariupol. Near the end of April it was reported that Ukrainian officials believed the number of Ukrainian children forced from eastern Ukraine and entered into the Russian adoption system totalled around 150,000. It had been previously reported by Russian media on that children without parents in Donetsk were being placed with Russian parents through their adoption network.


title: 2022 Ukrainian refugee crisis

text: Amnesty International reported that "The abusive and humiliating process known as 'filtration' is a shocking violation of international human rights and humanitarian law. Our research shows that many displaced Ukrainians end up inside Russia or Russia-occupied territories involuntarily, even if they are not physically forced to move. Deportation and forcible transfer of civilians in occupied territory are prohibited by international humanitarian law and can constitute war crimes or crimes against humanity."


title: 2022 Ukrainian refugee crisis

text: From the start of the Russian invasion up to 26 July, 1,041,762 refugees from Ukraine had arrived in Hungary. As there are no border checks within the Schengen area, Hungary does not know how many people have moved to other Schengen countries. 500 people from third-party countries arrived by train in Budapest and asked the police for help; these were mostly students or migrant workers from Asia and Africa who had been living in Ukraine.


title: 2022 Ukrainian refugee crisis

text: Moldova was among the first countries to receive refugees from the Odesa and Vinnytsia regions. Moldovan authorities have activated a centre for crisis management to facilitate accommodation and humanitarian relief for refugees. As of 26 July, 549,333 Ukrainian refugees had entered Moldova. Prime Minister of Moldova Natalia Gavrilița said on 5 April that 100,000 refugees are staying in Moldova, with almost half of them being children. On 11 April, the UN said that Moldova was "hosting an estimated 95,000 Ukrainians." According to Médecins Sans Frontières, the majority of refugees who do not stay continue on to Romania, Poland or other European countries.


title: 2022 Ukrainian refugee crisis

text: Moldova received the highest number of refugees per capita of any country despite being one of Europe's poorest countries. According to "Middle East Eye", this has led to social tensions, and international aid was deemed crucial to help Moldovan institutions handle the influx of refugees. On 22 March, the "Financial Times" estimated that 4% of the Moldovan population were currently refugees, and reported that the government of Moldova had requested financial aid to cope with the emergency. At a conference in Berlin on 5 April, Germany and several partners, including France, Romania and the European Union, agreed to provide €659.5 million in aid to Moldova.


title: 2022 Ukrainian refugee crisis

text: Moldova has a critical view of Russia's invasion, due to its own internal conflict with Russian-backed Transnistria. The government of Moldova is providing free bus rides, and Romania has assisted Moldova with moving people onwards into Romania, in order to relieve the pressure in Moldova. On 12 March, Germany agreed to take 2,500 refugees who were in Moldova. On 5 March, Germany announced it will take an additional 12,000 refugees.


title: 2022 Ukrainian refugee crisis

text: Some Ukrainian refugees have also gone to the unrecognized breakaway state of Transnistria. The state-owned newspaper "Novosti Pridnestrovya" reported on 4 April that a total of around 27,300 Ukrainian citizens had arrived in Transnistria, of whom 21,000 had applied for temporary residence permits.


title: 2022 Ukrainian refugee crisis

text: As of 8 March, Slovakia had taken in over 140,000 people. By 26 July, 627,555 Ukrainian refugees had entered Slovakia. However, most of the refugees continued further west, mainly to the Czech Republic, the country that now hosts the largest number of Ukrainian refugees per capita of any European country. About 80.000 refugees settled so far in Slovakia.


title: 2022 Ukrainian refugee crisis

text: Ukraine has an Association Agreement with the European Union and since 2017 Ukrainians with biometric passports have had the right to 90 days visa-free stay in the Schengen Area. Following the invasion of Ukraine, the Commission has called upon member states to authorise the entry and stay of those without biometric passports on humanitarian grounds, and member states had done so since the refugees started to arrive across the borders.


title: 2022 Ukrainian refugee crisis

text: On 4 March, the Council of the EU unanimously agreed to implement the Temporary Protection Directive for the first time in its history, so that refugees fleeing from Ukraine do not have to go through the standard European Union asylum procedure. Temporary protection is an emergency mechanism which gives the right to stay in an EU member state for an initial period of one year, which may be extended for up to a maximum of three years. The beneficiaries enjoy harmonised rights across the EU such as residence, access to the labour market and housing, medical assistance, and access to education for children. The Council did not adopt a system of quotas of displaced persons, but left it to the beneficiaries to choose their destination freely.


title: 2022 Ukrainian refugee crisis

text: The Austrian Interior Minister Gerhard Karner from the ÖVP and the Federal Chancellor Karl Nehammer announced that Austria was willing to take in refugees from Ukraine. All refugees are allowed to stay in the country for 90 days. Of 150,000 Ukrainian refugees having arrived in Austria, about 7,000 have applied for asylum, with most proceeding to other countries.


title: 2022 Ukrainian refugee crisis

text: On 25 February, Belgian State Secretary for Asylum and Migration Sammy Mahdi called for Europe to coordinate the reception. Two days later, Development Minister Meryame Kitir announced that three million euros would be allocated for additional humanitarian aid to Ukraine. By 17 March, 10,000 refugees had registered for temporary protection in Belgium. By 14 April, 30,807 refugees had been registered in Belgium.


title: 2022 Ukrainian refugee crisis

text: Up to 5 March, roughly 25,000 Ukrainian refugees had arrived in Bulgaria. By 12 March, their number was nearly 70,000. By 28 March, about 125,500. By 16 April, 185,055 Ukrainian citizens had entered Bulgaria, 87,439 remained in the country, of whom approximately 25,000 were children. The chairman of the State Agency for Refugees told the Bulgarian National Radio that as of 24 August, 91,903 Ukrainian refugees remained in Bulgaria, with nearly 40% of them being children.


title: 2022 Ukrainian refugee crisis

text: From the start of the Russian invasion to 4 September, 21,676 Ukrainian refugees entered Croatia, of whom over 49.9% were women, over 33.5% children and nearly 16.6% men.


title: 2022 Ukrainian refugee crisis

text: By 9 March, around 3,000 Ukrainian refugees had entered Cyprus since the day after the Russian invasion, the Cypriot interior ministry reported; 19 of these had sought asylum. By April their number was around 10,000.


title: 2022 Ukrainian refugee crisis

text: The Czech Republic is providing financial, humanitarian and other types of aid to Ukrainian refugees as well as state accommodation and education for their children. The Czech Republic had received over 100,000 Ukrainian refugees by 7 March. As of 10 March the Czech Republic had received approximately 200,000 refugees. As the country is close to reaching its maximum housing capacity for refugees, the government is considering the construction of refugee camps. By 17 March, over 270,000 refugees from Ukraine had arrived in the Czech Republic, the number rising to over 300,000 by 23 March, and to 318,785 by 30 April. The country now hosts the largest number of Ukrainian refugees per capita of any European country.


title: 2022 Ukrainian refugee crisis

text: A network of Regional Centres for Help and Assistance to Ukraine ("Krajská asistenční centra pomoci Ukrajině") was created in the regional capitals of the country to help refugees obtain registration, accommodation, health insurance or other assistance. On 17 March, a law known as "Lex Ukrajina" was passed by Parliament to make it easier for refugees to obtain residence permits and access healthcare.


title: 2022 Ukrainian refugee crisis

text: Also on 17 March, some media, including Associated Press and BBC News, incorrectly reported that the Czech Prime Minister had said: "Czech Republic can no longer accept refugees from Ukraine". However, someone had mistranslated his Czech quote: "We are at the very limit of what we are capable of absorbing without any major problems (...) we must continue in the steps that will allow us to cope with more high numbers". The BBC later corrected the mistranslation.


title: 2022 Ukrainian refugee crisis

text: By 25 March, the Danish authorities had registered around 24,000 Ukrainians as having arrived in Denmark, with roughly half being children. Because of the visa-free rules for Ukrainians and the borders being largely open, with only sporadic controls, the exact number is unknown. The authorities have projected that the number may eventually surpass 100,000 if the war is drawn out. Ukrainian citizens, their close relatives and non-Ukrainians that already had refugee status in Ukraine can receive a two-year residence permit (with the possibility of extension) without having to first request asylum. By 1 April, about 30.000 refugees had reached Denmark according to the authorities amid expectations that the number will rise to around 40.000 after Easter.


title: 2022 Ukrainian refugee crisis

text: By 18 March, 25,190 refugees, of whom over a third were children, had arrived in Estonia. Of the total, 6,437 refugees were transiting, leaving 18,753 who planned to stay in Estonia. By 31 March, 25,347 refugees, of whom about 40 percent were children had entered Estonia. The government received 13,289 applications for temporary protection.


title: 2022 Ukrainian refugee crisis

text: From the start of the Russian invasion up to 30 March, around 15,000 Ukrainian refugees had entered Finland according to the Finnish Immigration Service. The authorities have estimated that up to 100,000 are likely to arrive in the country.


title: 2022 Ukrainian refugee crisis

text: On 10 March, the Interior Ministry reported that 7,251 people had arrived in France from Ukraine, 6,967 of whom were Ukrainian nationals. By 16 March, at least 17,000 Ukrainian refugees had entered France, according to French interior minister Gérald Darmanin. On 24 March, Prime Minister Jean Castex visiting the new reception center for Ukrainian refugees in Nice on Thursday, and said that 30,000 Ukrainian refugees had entered France since 25 February. As of 30 March, about 45,000 Ukrainians, mainly women and children, had arrived in France.


title: 2022 Ukrainian refugee crisis

text: As of 27 April, more than 70,000 refugees were benefiting from the subsidy for asylum seekers (Ada) in France, and by 24 May, more than 85,000 according to the French Office for Immigration and integration. By 29 May this figure was believed to be around 93,000. The number was expected to reach 100,000 during June said prefect Joseph Zimet, As of 4 July, more than 100,000 refugees were benefiting from the subsidy for asylum seekers (Ada) in France.


title: 2022 Ukrainian refugee crisis

text: A portal called "Je m'engage pour l'Ukraine" (I am committed to Ukraine) was launched with state support, aiming to coordinate help from French citizens.


title: 2022 Ukrainian refugee crisis

text: The French portal to help Ukrainian citizens who choose France has changed its name "Pour l'Ukraine" - "For Ukraine" in French.


title: 2022 Ukrainian refugee crisis

text: France is fully in solidarity with the Ukrainians and mobilized to facilitate their reception in France. The "Pour l'Ukraine" portal offers all the useful information to support them in their first days in France. It also allows citizens wishing to mobilize alongside them, to access devices near their homes.


title: 2022 Ukrainian refugee crisis

text: Georgia suffered similar experiences during the Russo-Georgian War and Georgians have thus been generous towards the people of Ukrainian refugees. According to the UN Refugee Agency data, as of July 2022, Georgia officially recorded 24,296 Ukrainian refugees but the full number of unregistered Ukrainians in the country is unknown.


title: 2022 Ukrainian refugee crisis

text: Georgia has also opened facilities in several cities for Ukrainian children so they could learn in their own language. The Georgian government has set up shelters for Ukrainians has sent up to 1,000 tons of humanitarian aid to the country and "shelters up to 28,000 Ukrainians" said Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on May 27, 2022. He noted the Government has allocated US$7 million to care for the Ukrainian refugees, and will allot the same amount for aid to Ukraine through 2022.


title: 2022 Ukrainian refugee crisis

text: The first refugees from Ukraine arrived in Brandenburg on the evening of 25 February, and the federal state was initially preparing for some 10,000 people. Other states pledged their help. In addition, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern decided to stop the forced return of people to Ukraine.


title: 2022 Ukrainian refugee crisis

text: On 8 March, a legal norm was enacted ("Ukraine-Aufenthalts-Übergangsverordnung"), which temporarily legalizes the entry and residence of Ukrainians and third-country nationals in Germany who were legally resident in Ukraine at the beginning of the Russian attack on 24 February.


title: 2022 Ukrainian refugee crisis

text: Deutsche Bahn, the German national railway company, allowed refugees with a Ukrainian passport or ID card to travel free of charge on long-distance trains from Poland to Germany. The company also gave out free tickets to refugees who wanted to continue to another destination; by 17 March, more than 100,000 had been issued. The Association of German Transport Companies decided to also cancel charges for all short-distance travel with buses and trains for Ukrainian refugees within Germany.


title: 2022 Ukrainian refugee crisis

text: German media debated whether there was a difference in the portrayal of refugees from Ukraine compared to those from other countries, particularly those arriving during the 2015 European migrant crisis.


title: 2022 Ukrainian refugee crisis

text: According to the Federal Ministry of the Interior and Community, 37,786 war refugees from Ukraine had registered in Germany by midday on 6 March; by March 14 the number had reached almost 147,000. By 23 March, almost 239,000 refugees had entered Germany. The interior ministry said that by 10 March, 300,000 private homes had offered accommodation. Temporary shelters were built in places such as the former Berlin Tegel Airport and Terminal 5 of Berlin Brandenburg Airport.


title: 2022 Ukrainian refugee crisis

text: On 1 March, the Greek government was considering evacuating the 100,000 ethnic Greeks from Mariupol and its surrounding area. Many early refugees were from Ukraine's sizeable ethnic Greek community. By 4 April, over 16,700 Ukrainian refugees had arrived in Greece of whom 5,117 were minors according to government officials.


title: 2022 Ukrainian refugee crisis

text: Between 1 January and 25 April, 845 Ukrainians applied for asylum in Iceland. More may have arrived already, who have not yet applied for asylum. As of 13 April, 748 Ukrainians had applied for asylum, of whom 26 percent were under the age of 18.


title: 2022 Ukrainian refugee crisis

text: In early March, the Irish government announced that it expected to receive over 100,000 refugees. However this was later increased to 200,000. 21,000 refugees had arrived by 11 April, of whom about 13,000 were being accommodated in State-provided accommodation.


title: 2022 Ukrainian refugee crisis

text: Government expect 40,000 Ukrainians by the end of April. By mid-October, 58,000 Ukrainians were being housed, equalivant to over 1% of the population of Ireland.


title: 2022 Ukrainian refugee crisis

text: Up to 9 March, 23,872 Ukrainian refugees had arrived in Italy, according to Prime Minister Mario Draghi, mainly arriving via the Italian-Slovenian border. By 12 March, three days later, this number had increased to 34,851. By 7 April, the number was 86,066, and 137,385 by 21 June.


title: 2022 Ukrainian refugee crisis

text: Starting from March 2022, assets seized from the mafia by the Italian government have begun housing Ukrainian refugees.


title: 2022 Ukrainian refugee crisis

text: The Latvian Interior Ministry had prepared a plan in case of a large influx of people from Ukraine as early as 14 February. On 24 February, the government approved a contingency plan to receive and accommodate approximately 10,000 refugees from Ukraine. Several non-governmental organizations, municipalities, schools and other institutions also pledged to provide accommodation. On 27 February, around 20 volunteer professional drivers departed to Lublin with supply donations, bringing Ukrainian refugees on their way back.


title: 2022 Ukrainian refugee crisis

text: The first refugees began arriving on 26 February and by 2 March Latvia had taken in more than 1,000 Ukrainian refugees. On 2 March, an official designated portal in Latvian, Ukrainian, English and Russian called "Ukraine to Latvia" was launched and on 7 March, with 3,000 to 4,000 Ukrainian refugees having arrived in Latvia, a Ukrainian refugee help center was opened in the . By 9 March, humanitarian visas had been issued to 67 Ukrainian citizens. To deal with the increasingly large numbers of refugees, a second Ukrainian refugee help center is scheduled to be opened in the former building of Riga Technical University on 14 March. As of 20 March, 6,253 Ukrainian refugees are registered in Riga. From the start of the Russian invasion up to 23 March, 12,000 Ukrainian refugees had entered Latvia. From the start of the Russian invasion up to 5 June, 31,960 Ukrainian refugees had entered Latvia.


title: 2022 Ukrainian refugee crisis

text: From the start of the Russian invasion up to 23 May, almost 53,700 Ukrainian refugees had entered Lithuania, including 21,300 children, of whom almost 5,600 were under the age of six as well as 2,500 Ukrainian refugees aged 65 and over.


title: 2022 Ukrainian refugee crisis

text: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Luxembourg welcomed the European regulations and has set up a "first reception centre" in Luxembourg City.


title: 2022 Ukrainian refugee crisis

text: Prior to the invasion, Ukrainians in search of safety could already fly to the Netherlands and stay for three months. During this time, they had to find their own accommodation as asylum centers were already "overcrowded". State Secretary for Migration Eric van der Burg said that the principle had always been emphasized that refugees should be received in their own region, if possible but that "now Europe is the region." As of 27 February, fewer than 50 refugees had arrived in the Netherlands from Ukraine.


title: 2022 Ukrainian refugee crisis

text: However, by 8 March, 325 Ukrainian refugees had arrived in Rotterdam alone. A local official said that Rotterdam would receive more Ukrainians than the thousand who had been initially expected, "our people are working hard to find places, and they won't stop at a thousand."


title: 2022 Ukrainian refugee crisis

text: The Dutch cabinet wanted to ensure 50,000 places for refugees from Ukraine according to a letter from Justice and Security Minister Yesilgöz, "the safety regions will coordinate the implementation, together with municipalities, of reception locations for at least 1,000 refugees from Ukraine per region within two weeks". Then, in a third phase, the same number would again be admitted.


title: 2022 Ukrainian refugee crisis

text: By 16 March, the municipality of Amsterdam had acquired ships harboured in the Java-eiland to lodge 300 refugees as a way to extend their existing capability.


title: 2022 Ukrainian refugee crisis

text: Ukrainian refugees have received free public transport. Ruter, Oslo's public transport authority, has provided free rides since 4 March 2022. Vy, a railway company, provides free train rides to reception centres. Vestland county also provide free public transport.


title: 2022 Ukrainian refugee crisis

text: As of 25 April, Portugal had received 33,106 refugees from Ukraine. The majority of the refugees are Ukrainian citizens, while 5% are non-Ukrainian nationals living in Ukraine at the time of the invasion. There were 22,208 women refugees, 10,898 men and 11,410 minors. As of 6 April, 350 minors had arrived without a parent or legal guardian. In most cases, these minors arrived with close relatives, but 16 of them arrived unaccompanied; this number rose to 45 by 7 April. As of 29 March, 1,800 Portuguese families had offered to provide foster care. The Portuguese authorities expect to find next-of-kin for the majority, and only a tiny number will need permanent adoption.


title: 2022 Ukrainian refugee crisis

text: Before the 2022 invasion, Portugal already had 27,200 Ukrainian immigrants. As a result of the crisis, the Ukrainian immigrant community has become the second-largest in Portugal, almost doubling to over 52,000 in the month of March. That community helped in organizing the transport of refugees.


title: 2022 Ukrainian refugee crisis

text: By 6 April, 2,115 Ukrainian refugee children had been enrolled in Portuguese public schools, up from over 600 on 22 March. Employment wise, as of 6 of April 2022, 359 refugees had been hired, 4,261 registered as looking for work and 2,880 enrolled in Portuguese classes. As of 6 April, Portuguese social security had processed 1,412 requests from Ukrainian refugees. The Portuguese government reiterated that it had set no limit for Ukrainian refugees.


title: 2022 Ukrainian refugee crisis

text: As of 25 July, there are 17,875 Ukrainian refugees in Serbia according to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.


title: 2022 Ukrainian refugee crisis

text: From the start of the Russian invasion up to 23 March, more than 3,000 Ukrainian refugees had entered Slovenia, by 28 March 2022, more than 7,000 Ukrainian refugees had entered Slovenia, and by 15 April, this number had risen to 18,415 though the majority were not remaining in Slovenia.


title: 2022 Ukrainian refugee crisis

text: Spain announced that 100,000 Ukrainian citizens already living in the country would be fully legalized. This would allow them to "work legally, so that they can access education, health and social policies" said Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez. Several other authorities from local to central administration stated the willingness to accept more Ukrainian refugees. On March 31, 2022, Prime Minister Sánchez announced that 30,000 Ukrainian refugees had officially be granted the temporary protection status, but expected that number to increase to 70,000 in the next days. Many of the refugees were staying with relatives or friends and had not yet notified the authorities.


title: 2022 Ukrainian refugee crisis

text: The Spanish Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration enabled reception, attention and relocation centres (CREADE) for Ukrainian refugees in Pozuelo de Alarcón, Barcelona, Alicante and Málaga, resolving around 40,000 applications for temporary protection over the course of the first three weeks of the conflict.


title: 2022 Ukrainian refugee crisis

text: As of 11 March, the authorities had registered 5,200 Ukrainians as having entered Sweden since Russia's invasion. Because of the EU-wide 90 days visa-free rules for Ukrainians and no need for registration at the border, the true number is believed to be considerably higher, probably around 4,000 per day. It has been projected that Sweden most likely will receive around 76,000 refugees from Ukraine in the first half of 2022.


title: 2022 Ukrainian refugee crisis

text: It was already possible for a Ukrainian citizen (with a biometric passport) to enter Switzerland without a visa, the maximum stay was three months. Justice Minister Karin Keller-Sutter announced on 28 February that in future refugees without passports would be welcome too and residence would no longer be time limited. The federal government and the cantons would provide accommodation for 9,000 refugees. On 11 March, the head of the Justice minister Karin Keller-Sutter said that 2,100 refugees have already been registered in Switzerland and up to 60,000 refugees could arrive in total. As of 5 April, 24,837 refugees had been registered and 18,149 of them had already received S permits. By October 2022, there were about 70,000 refugees in Switzerland.


title: 2022 Ukrainian refugee crisis

text: Britain had issued about 1,000 visas by 13 March and was criticised for placing too many bureaucratic obstacles to entry to the UK for refugees by both international and UK sources, and for only granting admission to refugees who already had family in the UK. On 4 March the United Kingdom announced that British nationals and Ukrainian residents of the UK would be allowed to bring in members of their extended family from Ukraine. Prime Minister Boris Johnson stated that the country could take in 200,000 Ukrainian refugees. On 7 March 2022, French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said that many Ukrainian refugees had been turned away by British officials in Calais and told to obtain visas at UK consulates in Paris or Brussels. Emmanuel Macron also criticised the United Kingdom for not helping Ukrainian refugees enough, specifically criticising Britain's visa policy which required applicants to apply for visas in person in Brussels or Paris before entering Britain.


title: 2022 Ukrainian refugee crisis

text: On 12 March, Michael Gove announced the "Homes for Ukraine" scheme whereby Britons who offered their home to Ukrainian refugees would receive £350 a month.


title: 2022 Ukrainian refugee crisis

text: On 28 March the Home Office announced it had issued 21,600 visas under the Ukraine Family Scheme, under which refugees could join close family members already resident in the UK. The government was criticised however for the slow and bureaucratic procedures in the "Homes for Ukraine" scheme previously announced by Gove. The heads of the Refugee Council, the British Red Cross, Save the Children and Oxfam made a statement warning that the system was "causing great distress to already traumatised Ukrainians". 2,500 applications for visas under this scheme had been approved by 30 March. In April 2022, "The Times" revealed that female refugees may be at risk of being exploited by UK men offering to be their hosts, with some proposing sexual relationship or even marriage. On 13 April, UNHCR asked the United Kingdom to stop pairing single British men with lone Ukrainian women refugees under the "Homes for Ukraine" scheme because the women were at risk of sexual exploitation.


title: 2022 Ukrainian refugee crisis

text: By 8 April, a total of 12,000 Ukrainian refugees had entered Britain. 1,200 of them under the "Homes for Ukraine" scheme for those who are sponsored by UK hosts and 10,800 under the Ukrainian family scheme for those with prior family connections to the UK. The British government had received 79,800 applications for visas from Ukrainians and had issued 40,900 up to 7 April, but only 21,600 refugees had actually entered the UK by 22 April and 27,100 by 22 April under both schemes.


title: 2022 Ukrainian refugee crisis

text: In May 2022, the first private plane carrying refugees arriving under humanitarian visas arrived in Buenos Aires carrying 9 passengers. The Argentine government has stated its intent to continue such flights.


title: 2022 Ukrainian refugee crisis

text: In the wake of the Russian invasion in February, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said that visa applications from Ukrainian nationals would be sent "to the top of the pile". Several Australians have opened their homes to host Ukrainian refugees, with more than 4,000 visas having been processed. On 20 March, the federal government announced that Ukrainians who arrive or are already in the country will be allowed temporary humanitarian visas, which allows them to work, study, and access healthcare. By 20 March, about 5,000 Ukrainians have been granted visas to travel to Australia, and 750 have arrived.


title: 2022 Ukrainian refugee crisis

text: On 3 March, Brazil announced that Ukrainians would receive humanitarian visas as refugees, with a period of 5 months to apply for asylum. The country has around 600,000 people of Ukrainian descent, about 38,000 of whom live in Prudentópolis, according to the Ukrainian-Brazilian Central Representation. From 3 February until 19 March, Brazil had received almost 900 Ukrainian refugees according to Brazilian police. On 22 March, the country's police reported that 1,100 Ukrainians had landed in Brazil up to that date.


title: 2022 Ukrainian refugee crisis

text: On 3 March, the Government of Canada announced a plan to permanently reunify Canadian citizens with their Ukrainian family members. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada stated the country will allow an unlimited number of Ukrainians to apply to temporarily stay in Canada and provide work permits for Ukrainians that have either been accepted under these migration schemes or cannot safely return to Ukraine. On 17 March, the Government launched the "Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel" (CUAET), which gives Ukrainians and their families a visa to come to Canada temporarily, and allows them to work and study there for up to three years. There is no limit to the number of people who can apply, and applicants who are overseas can apply online and provide their biometrics (fingerprints and a photo). The online application takes 14 days to process.


title: 2022 Ukrainian refugee crisis

text: Canada is home to nearly 1.4 million Ukrainian-Canadians, making Canada the second-largest population of the Ukrainian diaspora, after Russia. Between 17 March and 4 December, 724,494 applications through CUAET were received, of which 451,258 were approved. As applications continue to be received, the Government of Canada announced it is investing an additional CA$117 million to expedite the implementation of new immigration programs for Ukrainian refugees.


title: 2022 Ukrainian refugee crisis

text: Unlike refugees from Syria or Afghanistan, refugees from Ukraine are only considered temporary residents who do not obtain permanent residency upon arrival in Canada and are only granted the right to work or study in Canada for three years.


title: 2022 Ukrainian refugee crisis

text: When the conflict broke out, there were an estimated 16,000 to 20,000 Ukrainian tourists, now refugees, in Egypt. The Egyptian government assisted them to leave Egypt, with free flights to Poland, Slovakia, and Hungary – as of 4 March, almost 4,000 had left the country.


title: 2022 Ukrainian refugee crisis

text: As of 23 March, more than 15,200 Ukrainian refugees had arrived in Israel, of whom only 4,200 would have otherwise been eligible for citizenship In addition, another 20,000 Ukrainians who were already inside Israel when the conflict broke out (on tourist visas or illegally in the country) were also regarded as refugees and given permission to stay.


title: 2022 Ukrainian refugee crisis

text: On July 3, 2022, the Supreme Court of Israel abolished the quotas on Ukrainian refugees in Israel and allowed unlimited entry of refugees into Israel. The President of Ukraine welcomed the decision and said it is a sign of "a true, developed democracy"


title: 2022 Ukrainian refugee crisis

text: In a rare move, Japan opened its borders to refugees from Ukraine fleeing the current war on March 15. On 12 March, it was confirmed by Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno that 29 Ukrainians had entered Japan to seek shelter with friends or relatives in Hiroshima. From the start of the Russian invasion to 6 April 2022, 437 Ukrainian refugees entered Japan. From the start of the Russian invasion to 8 June 2022, 1222 Ukrainian refugees had entered Japan. By June 8, 2022, according to the prefectures, the highest number of Ukrainian refugees were in Tokyo (215 people), Fukuoka (92 people) and Kanagawa (70 people). By June 8, 2022, 284 Ukrainian refugees were under the age of 18. From the start of the Russian invasion to 30 November 2022, 2158 Ukrainian refugees entered Japan. By November 30, 2022, according to the prefectures, the highest number of Ukrainian refugees were in Tokyo (545 people), Osaka (154 people), Kanagawa (139 people), Fukuoka (122 people) and Hyōgo (105 people). By 30 November, 2022, 417 Ukrainian refugees were under the age of 18, 1463 were between the ages of 18 and 61, and 278 were over 61.


title: 2022 Ukrainian refugee crisis

text: Mexico has been the Latin American country that has received the most Ukrainians since February 2022.


title: 2022 Ukrainian refugee crisis

text: New Zealand promised to accept 4,000 Ukrainian refugees. By July 2022, 227 Ukrainians had arrived in New Zealand.


title: 2022 Ukrainian refugee crisis

text: The Philippines' Department of Justice stated that the country would be willing to accept Ukrainian refugees and asylum seekers as a response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. President Rodrigo Duterte on 28 February 2022 institutionalized the Philippines policy to protect refugees, stateless persons and asylum seekers under international law.


title: 2022 Ukrainian refugee crisis

text: Early in the conflict the government announced that it would grant and extend free visas by two months for over 15,000 Russians and Ukrainians who are stranded in Sri Lanka due to the ongoing conflict.


title: 2022 Ukrainian refugee crisis

text: On 3 March, Turkey announced that 20,000 Ukrainian refugees had entered Turkey since the Russian invasion. Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu said that Turkey was glad to welcome them. By March 8, official figures put the number of Ukrainian refugees in the country at 20,550, of whom 551 were of Crimean Tatar or Meskhetian Turk origin. The Ukrainian winner of the 2016 Eurovision Song Contest, Jamala, who is of Crimean Tatar origin, also sought refuge in Turkey. By 23 March, the number of Ukrainian refugees had risen above 58,000. As of 25 April, the number of Ukrainian refugees in Turkey exceeded 85,000.


title: 2022 Ukrainian refugee crisis

text: The United States announced on 4 March that Ukrainians would be provided Temporary Protected Status. This was estimated to impact 30,000 Ukrainian nationals in the United States. On 24 March, US President Biden announced that up to 100,000 Ukrainian refugees would be accepted into the United States; especially, focusing on those with family already in the country. As of June 2022, only 300 Ukrainians had been resettled under the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program, and most Ukrainian refugees came to the United States on visas they held or by crossing the U.S.-Mexico border. By late 2022 approximately 85,000 Ukrainians had utilized the "Uniting for Ukraine" program which allows refugees with an American sponsor to remain in America for two years.


title: 2022 Ukrainian refugee crisis

text: Organizations such as UNICEF, the United Nations Refugee Agency, International Rescue Committee and others began accepting monetary donations to help refugees and those affected by the crisis. Others such as "The Kyiv Independent" began GoFundMe campaigns to raise money for specific causes or calls for physical items to be donated.


title: 2022 Ukrainian refugee crisis

text: On 10 May, the US House of Representatives passed legislation that would provide $900 million for housing, education and other help for Ukrainian refugees in the United States.


title: 2022 Ukrainian refugee crisis

text: UNICEF is helping the Ukrainian children and refugees also by providing essential health services, safe drinking water supplies, education and protection.


title: 2022 Ukrainian refugee crisis

text: The Council of Europe's Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (GRETA) and aid organizations such as the Human Trafficking Foundation and World Vision warned that refugees are at risk of falling into human trafficking, exploitation and violence, including sexual violence.


title: 2022 Ukrainian refugee crisis

text: Concerns about human trafficking and sexual violence have been realized during the refugee crisis, with spotty documentation and identification, language barriers and the large numbers of refugees creating opportunities for traffickers. A Ukrainian refugee who stayed to help at a border location told reporters of calling the police on three men holding transportation signs, who were later arrested for looking for women for the sex trade. Another refugee spoke of men who attempted to coerce her and her children into a van full of only women, and refused to show her proof of identification and attempted to intimidate her from other travel options. At least one man was arrested on suspicions of raping a 19-year-old refugee after promising her work and shelter. La Strada worked on a case where Ukrainian girls were offered tickets to Mexico, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates without ever meeting the men who invited them. European Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson said: "We have some indications on online services that the demand for Ukrainian women for sexual purposes has gone up." According to the "USA Today", "there has been a skyrocketing increase in all forms of illegal trafficking of women and girls in the region – and also boys – including forced sex and labor, prostitution, pornography and other forms of sexual exploitation, authorities and experts told USA TODAY. ... In recent weeks, online searches for Ukrainian women and keywords like escorts, porn or sex have shot up dramatically in European countries, according to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, or OSCE."


title: 2022 Ukrainian refugee crisis

text: Polish, Romanian and Slovakian law enforcement deployed patrols to border crossings to look out for criminal activity. Both men and women have attempted to procure female refugees at stations. The Polish government passed an amendment which raised the minimum sentence of human trafficking from 3 years to 10 years, and the sex trafficking of children from 10 years to 25 years. In Berlin, German authorities advised refugees not to accept help directly from people at train stations, and for Germans to register their offers of help on coordinated websites rather than approaching refugees directly. German police also increased the number of uniformed and undercover police officers at train stations, and asked volunteers to report suspicious activity at train stations.


title: 2022 Ukrainian refugee crisis

text: UNICEF and UNHCR raised concerns about minors who were traveling unaccompanied, and urged neighbouring countries to identify and register the children before sending them to relocation services. They also highlighted a number of institutional care and boarding schools in Ukraine which held about 10,000 students that have been caught up in the invasion. In some countries, accommodation has been created specifically for orphaned children in foster homes or orphanages. UNICEF set up "Blue Dot" safe spaces in neighboring countries, which included support for unaccompanied children. In addition, some protection for separated and unaccompanied minors is now provided through a system of temporary guardianship in the country where the children arrive, which Poland among other countries has set up under new legislation.


title: 2022 Ukrainian refugee crisis

text: According to Ukrainian authorities, thousands of refugees arriving in Russia have been forcibly relocated using 'filtration centres', evoking the memory of Soviet era population transfers and prior Russian use of such centres in the Chechen War of Independence. Forcible deportation by a warring party is a human rights violation, and experts warn that the forcible transfer of Ukrainian children for "adoption" in Russia is a genocidal act.


title: 2022 Ukrainian refugee crisis

text: RIA Novosti and Ukrainian officials stated that thousands were dispatched to filtration centres in Penza Oblast, Taganrog, Donetsk, Ryazan, Yaroslavl and the Russian-occupied Ukrainian cities of Dokuchaievsk, Izium and Bezimenne. The Ukrainian government claimed that 400,000 Ukrainian citizens have been forcibly taken to Russia where "some could be sent as far as the Pacific Ocean island of Sakhalin and are being offered jobs on condition they don't leave for two years", while "the Kremlin" claimed the relocated people wanted to go to Russia. It was reported that underground networks of Russians and Russian exiles, had been helping Ukrainian refugees to leave Russia and Russian controlled areas. More than 20,000 Ukrainians have entered Estonia from Russia since the war began.


title: 2022 Ukrainian refugee crisis

text: Human Rights Watch, the UN Human Rights Office, Amnesty International, the United States Department of State, and "The Intercept" have reported Russian deportations of Ukrainians. According to the U.S. State Department, the number of Ukrainians who have been deported or forcibly transferred into Russia is between 900,000 and 1.6 million, citing various sources including the Russian government.


title: 2022 Ukrainian refugee crisis

text: A few days into the crisis, claims of discrimination by border guards and other authorities against non-European and Romani people were reported by some of those fleeing Ukraine. There were reports of people being forced to move to the backs of queues, deboarded from buses, prevented from crossing the border, and, in one report, being beaten by guards. Some Indians in Ukraine said they were targeted after India chose to abstain from condemning Russia at the UN. Some Indians and Africans were reportedly harassed and threatened by Polish nationalists after crossing into Poland. On 1 March, Filippo Grandi, of UNHCR, acknowledged that discrimination against non-Ukrainians had occurred at some borders, but he did not believe it was from state policies.


title: 2022 Ukrainian refugee crisis

text: The African Union called attempts to prevent Africans from crossing the border racist and not in line with international law. On March 2, Ukrainian foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba stated that Africans "need to have equal opportunity" to leave the country and he also stated that "Ukraine's government spares no effort to solve the problem." On 3 March, Russian president Vladimir Putin held talks with Indian prime minister Narendra Modi and told him that he had instructed Russian soldiers to "ensure the safe exit of Indian nationals from the armed conflict zone."


title: 2022 Ukrainian refugee crisis

text: In 2020, Ukraine had over 76,000 foreign students, with India and African countries each making up one quarter of the total number. With their affordable tuition, straightforward visa requirements, and the possibility of permanent residency, Ukrainian universities were seen as an entry point to the European job market. Afghans constitute the largest immigrant group in the country, having arrived as early as the 1980s. Andriy Demchenko, a spokesperson for the Ukrainian border guard, said that allegations of segregation at the borders are untrue. On 28 February, Krzysztof Szczerski, Poland's ambassador to the UN, reported that the refugees who were admitted from Ukraine on that day alone represented 125 countries. Since then, EU Commissioner Ylva Johansson has stated that its borders are open to people in Ukraine from third countries who want to travel to their home countries, and individuals in need of protection can apply for asylum.


title: 2022 Ukrainian refugee crisis

text: On 2 March, the German embassy as well as the EU delegation in Kenya called for verification of the postings on Kenyan social media, cautioning that unsubstantiated claims had been spread. According to German TV station "Tagesschau", such allegations are grave because they are in line with the narrative of Vladimir Putin, who has justified his attack on Ukraine with, the need to free the country from "Nazis". On Polish social media, the amount of both pro-Russian and racist content saw an increase following the invasion, and fake news about supposed crimes which were committed by, or against refugees were partially spread by pro-Kremlin accounts.