The United States has reiterated its support for the Ukrainian people multiple times since Russia invaded the country on February 24. However, only 12 Ukrainians made it through the country’s refugee programme in March this year. 

President Joe Biden, in a statement last month, announced that the United States would be reviewing its cap on Ukrainian refugee intake following the invasion, increasing the total number to 100,000.

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What is the Biden administration saying?

White House press secretary Jen Psaki previously said that while the United States borders are open for Ukrainians, they expect that most of the migrants would primarily seek refuge in Eastern European countries instead of taking on a challenging journey across the ocean.

In March this year, refugee advocates and some lawmakers put other issues on the backburner and addressed Ukraine as a priority. With the pressure turned up, the Biden administration said that “the full range of legal pathways” would be provided to Ukrainians who fled Russia and wish to enter America.

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Why are the refugees being held back?

Before Russia entered Ukraine in February, America had already admitted 514 Ukrainian refugees since the start of the year, according to data released by the State Department. The number took a significant dip after war broke out.

A spokesperson from the State Department said that the refugee application process had to be halted in Kyiv due to the war, however, the operations were moved to Moldova on a smaller scale.

Even though the United States cleared multiple Ukrainian refugee applicants to travel to the country in March, a flurry of flight cancellations, restricted airspace and the swelling of conflict forced migrants to stay put, according to reports from Reuters.

What is happening on the Tijuana border?

Word has spread rapidly on social media that a loose volunteer coalition, largely from Slavic churches in the western United States, is guiding hundreds of refugees daily from the Tijuana airport to temporary shelters, where they wait two to four days for US officials to admit them on humanitarian parole.

A canopy under which children played soccer only two days earlier was packed with people in rows of chairs and lined with bunk beds, Associated Press reported.

What is the current situation?

The United States- Mexico border seems to be a migrant favourite once again. As of Thursday last week, nearly 2,500 Ukrainian migrants were waiting at the border city of Tijuana and have sought asylum.

The United States Department of Homeland Security said last week that 3,000 Ukrainians who were considered to be “particularly vulnerable” were permitted to cross the border.