The AP Interview: Refugee head sees lesson in Ukraine crisis

By RENATA BRITO
Associated Press

GENEVA (AP) — The U.N. refugee agency director says Europe’s embrace of millions of Ukrainians who fled Russia’s invasion has shown that it’s possible to welcome large numbers of asylum-seekers. U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi told The Associated Press in an interview that the approach should be replicated to receive those fleeing other nations. Grandi described the European Union’s response as “exemplary.” He noted that nearly 4 million Ukrainians have registered with the bloc’s temporary protection system. That stands in contrast to EU efforts in recent years to keep migrants from Africa and the Middle East from reaching its shores. Some European leaders have sought to differentiate between the plight of Ukrainians and that of others. Grandi called that distinction “racist.”