More than three million people have fled Ukraine and even more are on the run in the country, says Minister of Integration and Migration Anders Ygeman (S) at a press conference with the Swedish Migration Agency's Director General Mikael Ribbenvik on Friday.
- The war in Ukraine has now been going on for over three weeks and has given rise to the fastest growing refugee crisis in Europe since World War II, says Ygeman.
The number of refugees is expected to increase
So far, around 14,000 refugees have come to Sweden.
Ribbenvik states that a total of approximately 76,000 Ukrainians will seek protection in the country before the end of the first half of the year.
The Swedish Migration Agency currently has the capacity to receive around 2,000 applications per day.
But from Monday, the possibility of digital application opens.
- It will ease queues and radically increase capacity.
Close to 10 billion is required
In order for Sweden to be able to receive everyone who applies to Sweden, an additional 40,500 accommodation places need to be developed.
It would cost SEK 9.8 billion according to the Swedish Migration Agency's calculations, which will be handed over to the government on Friday.
Ygeman emphasizes that a large part of a large part of the billions could be taken from development aid.
The highest scenario would mean 212,000 refugees to Sweden until the end of June, which would require 160,000 places to live.
Then the costs would instead amount to SEK 30 billion.