Food crisis due to Russia-Ukraine conflict will trigger migrant influx in Eur

Warsaw: Aija Kalnaja, chief of Frontex, warned that the Russia-Ukraine conflict has affected food grain exports and has caused a food shortage in the African and Middle Eastern countries. The intensity of this shortage is increasing by the day. Therefore, a fresh immigrant influx could be triggered in the coming times.’ It was revealed that the number of African immigrants entering Spain was increasing.

The countries Russia and Ukraine are referred to as the Bread Basket of the world. These countries are leaders in the production of wheat, corn and sunflower. Nearly 14% of the global exports of legumes are from Russia and Ukraine. The agriculture sector in both countries has been affected by the conflict. The Russian food grain export has been stopped given the sanctions imposed against it.

The farmlands in Ukraine have suffered massive damages given the Russian attacks. At the same time, certain Ukrainian territories are under Russian control. Therefore, food grain exports have stopped from these regions. The Ukrainian government claimed that as Russia has taken control of the Ukrainian ports, the export of nearly 90 million tonnes of food grain has stopped.

Most countries in the Middle East and Africa depend on the food grain exported from Russia and Ukraine. There is a severe food grain shortage in these countries as these sources have dried up. Food grain prices also have skyrocketed, and citizens have started migrating on a massive scale, given starvation and other crises. Indications are that these immigrants from Africa and the Middle East are once again turning towards Europe.

In the last decade, millions of immigrants entered Europe given the conflict in the Middle East, including the Syrian conflict. This created political, social and economic crises in Europe. More than 5 million Ukrainian citizens have taken refuge in Europe given the Russia-Ukraine conflict. The numbers could increase if the conflict lasts longer. Fears are being expressed that if immigrants from Africa and the Middle East are added to these, the challenges faced by the European countries will intensify further.