More than a million refugees in just one week - the Russian war against Ukraine overshadows everything that Europe has experienced so far.

In the record year 2015, according to the UN refugee agency, there were almost a million, but for the whole year.

The new figure from the UNHCR on Thursday was already beyond this threshold.

"We are in a very, very dangerous situation," said EU Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson when she arrived at the home ministers' meeting in the morning. "We have to prepare for millions of refugees entering the European Union."

Her colleague Janez Lenarcic, who is responsible for humanitarian aid, predicted that there could be more than seven million people last Sunday.

Thomas Gutschker

Political correspondent for the European Union, NATO and the Benelux countries based in Brussels.

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And yet one rubs one's eyes when one has experienced how the EU countries have debated migration in recent years.

It was about how best to isolate yourself and control the external border.

The biggest issue recently was: Can EU funds be used to build fences and walls?

Everything is different now.

At an informal meeting on Sunday, the interior ministers agreed that all refugees should first be admitted.

In Poland, they are greeted by friendly helpers and handbills say "Welcome".

In Hungary, Viktor Orbán stands at the border and declares that everyone is allowed in, with or without papers.

Most Ukrainians are Christians, their skin is fair

Of course there is one important difference: the Ukrainians are direct neighbors, they are Christians, their skin is fair. And they account for at least ninety percent of the electricity, only a small group comes from foreign cultures, often they are foreign students, many of whom are Indians .

There were reports they would not be allowed across the border.

There are also videos showing how they are already being stopped on the Ukrainian side.

There is also some Russian disinformation suggesting racism.

In any case, Poland passed a regulation last Sunday, with gentle pressure from Brussels, that allows non-Ukrainians to stay for 15 days.

They can then apply for asylum – or move on to another country.

In fact, they can take their pick, as the Dublin rule, according to which an application must be made in the country of entry and an applicant can be returned there, has also been overridden by home ministers.

Not formally, but by political agreement, as the German side says.

Ukrainians can come to the EU for ninety days without a visa, that was the case even before the war.

The only requirement is a biometric passport, but even that is no longer required.

It is women, children and the elderly who come.

Men between the ages of 18 and 60, on the other hand, are held up on the Ukrainian side and have to report as reservists for national defense.

As has been heard, this has led to a new problem in recent days: women took their children to safety across the border and then returned to their husbands.

These are not the unaccompanied minors we were used to: strong young people.

They are small children without parents for whom foster families have to be found.