The Biden administration has announced that it will provide relief to thousands of Ukrainians who fled their country a year ago when Russia invaded, by allowing them to stay longer in the United States.
The Department of Homeland Security confirmed that certain Ukrainian nationals who were permitted to enter the US through Mexico can extend their stay beyond the one year they were initially granted.
This applies to around 25,000 Ukrainians and their family members who came in through a port of entry between 24th February and 25th April last year.
The decision comes as war in Ukraine enters its second year, causing unprecedented humanitarian crises.
Although Ukrainians generally received one year of permission to stay in the country, this group will now be considered for one-year extensions and their total two-year period will align with the length of time Ukrainians fleeing war were previously permitted to stay in the US under a program known as humanitarian parole.
The head of Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service, Krish O'Mara Vignarajah, praised the decision, emphasising the importance of extending legal rights to Ukrainians in the US as it's crucial to their well-being.
Resettlement agencies estimate that approximately 20,000 Ukrainians are included in the one-year group.
Over 118,000 Ukrainians have come to the US through humanitarian parole, which enables people fleeing desperate circumstances to enter the US and apply to more permanent immigration pathways.
In contrast, the Uniting for Ukraine program previously granted Ukrainians who entered the US under it, two years of humanitarian "parole" in the country.
Despite the delay from the one-year authorization to extend the stay of Ukrainians in the country, the Biden administration's decision will provide crucial relief to Ukrainians fleeing the war, improving their well-being and giving them access to resettlement assistance.