Ukrainians refugees board the train to Przemysl, Poland from Ukraine's port city Odesa on 25 April 2022. Photo: STR/NurPhoto via Getty Images
The Department of Homeland Security has approved nearly 6,000 Ukrainians to travel to the United States through a new streamlined process, the agency said on Monday.
The big picture: The "Uniting for Ukraine" program, which the Biden administration announced in late April, allows Ukrainians fleeing the Russian military invasion to apply for humanitarian parole.
- It's part of the effort to meet the Biden administration's promise to welcome up to 100,000 Ukrainian refugees.
- The United Nations Refugee Agency estimates that 5.5 million people have fled Ukraine since the war began in February.
Driving the news: Ukrainian refugees participating in the program began arriving in the U.S. on Friday, the DHS said in a statement.
- U.S. Citizen and Immigration Services has had more than 19,000 requests from Americans who want to help Ukrainian citizens or immediate family members since the website first launched, the DHS said.
- The DHS website went live on April 25 for Americans to apply to be sponsors. Among other requirements, Ukrainians seeking to enter the U.S. through the program must have a U.S. sponsor.