Ukrainian refugees arriving in Italy must get vaccinated or be swabbed every 48 hours

Ukrainian refugees arriving in Italy must get vaccinated or be swabbed every 48 hours

Ukrainian refugees arriving in Italy must get vaccinated or be swabbed every 48 hours. Credit: Twitter

Ukrainian refugees arriving in Italy must get vaccinated or be swabbed every 48 hours, according to Prime Minister Mario Draghi.

ITALIAN Prime Minister Mario Draghi announced on Wednesday, March 9 that Ukrainian refugees arriving in Italy must get vaccinated against Covid or be swabbed every 48 hours.

Draghi is expecting an increase of Ukrainian citizens to arrive in the country after fleeing war-torn Ukraine, with Italy already receiving close to 24,00 refugees already, as reported by Euractiv.

Unverified videos being posted online appear to show the 74-year-old stating that “all Ukrainian refugees who arrive in Italy either agree to get a swab every 48 hours or agree to get vaccinated.” Alongside the videos being shared, many users note that Italian citizens have not been given the swab option, stating that the country’s citizens either get vaccinated or are suspended from work without a salary.

Italian news outlet, Il Tiempo, provided a whole transcript of Draghi’s speech, revealing that the masked PM said: “On the health care front, all refugees who arrive either agree to have a swab every 48 hours or agree to get vaccinated.

“The masks are systematically distributed in the places where these vaccinations take place. All the measures arranged for the reception show the solidarity fielded by our country but much more must be done, for the times of war, which are feared will not be short but very long.”

Speaking at a parliamentary meeting on March 8, the prime minister said: “As of today, 23,872 of them have arrived.”

According to Euractiv, 90 per cent of the refugees are made up of women and children – 12,000 women and 9,700 children.

The rest is made up of men – 2,200 – primarily arriving via the Italian-Slovenian border.

“Refugees can be received in all the facilities provided for migrants” even without applying for protection, said Draghi. “Ukrainian citizens can count on health, social, psychological and legal assistance as well as on Italian language courses” in so-called ‘first reception centres, the PM added.

Refugees are granted the “possibility to work only with a residence permit as an exception to the entry quotas of the flux decree previously established and to work in a self-employed, subordinate and seasonal capacity”.

Draghi also thanked the opposition “for the constructive spirit and the unity they are all showing in handling this crisis”.

https://twitter.com/Based_ENG/status/1501664655793692676


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Written by

Matthew Roscoe

Originally from the UK, Matthew is based on the Costa Blanca and is a web reporter for The Euro Weekly News covering international and Spanish national news. Got a news story you want to share? Then get in touch at editorial@euroweeklynews.com.

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