Helpful info for our Ukrainian friends

In Poland at the border there are phone companies giving out SIM cards for free.

Couldn’t find any information that the exchange is not possible at banks in Germany. It should be I could call my bank tomorrow to check as their chat function is just not working for such information. Maybe you need to pay a little for the change but as I said I would need to verify it with the bank.

You will have enough time to apply, no worries.
Normally in the city you will stay, you need to register.

Help to enter Germany

Stay in Germany

Information how to get asylm

https://www.asyl.net/schutzsuchende-ukraine

I didn’t read the information myself, if you have certain cities or areas you want to go to, let me know, I could look up if there is a contact point, since many set up help with daily needs, housing, etc.

I just read that Berlin is pretty packed right now, so maybe you want to try another town. Let me know.

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And now also all other forms of public transport.

https://ind.nl/en/asylum/Pages/Apply-for-asylum-in-the-Netherlands.aspx

In The Netherlands, you can buy them either in a shop (any shop that sells phones usually also sells SIM cards) or online. I don’t know about Germany or Poland, but here we have to pay for a sort of copyright fee on top of the price for the SIM card itself. And just in case your phone is not simlockfree, you might have to buy a whole new phone. The shop employees could advise you further.

https://www.gwktravelex.nl/en/currency-exchange/buyback-currency

FB group with people willing to drive to the Ukranian border and give the refugees a ride: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1003082710639662

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I’m not sure how you apply for refugee status here but I think you must go to the city hall in the city you arrive at. But I think NS also gave their staff instructions on how to help refugees. Every train station has a service and information desk so I would go there to begin with. You can buy simcards at every phone shop. And in some cases you can get one for free. They can also help you with installing it and choose a plan that suits your needs.

I also suggest you check the site of the COA, that’s our national organisation that helps refugees with shelter and other information:

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Poland here

I also heard that companies give the sim cards for free, but in case something happened: you can buy them in most places like supermarkets (they are next to the cashier, because to buy them, you need to register), kiosks, post offices or if you want to, you can try to find the shops of the companies and they will for sure help you.
There are also things like that:
https://www.play.pl/nowy/oferta/play-karta/ukraina/ua/?tab=poslugy#poslugy
As for tariff, it depends what you want


I’d say that it’s possible now, but might not be possible in the future or with a really bad exchange rate.

I hope I don’t cause misinformation as I don’t know much either, just this source:

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@irene06

I saw this today, they also have WhatsApp in Polish/English/Russian/Ukrain and German language (contact persons).

They organize help for donations and help for people who had to flee or try to flee.

I hope that could help you or others:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CagymuLOdVg/?utm_medium=copy_link

About Berlin:

At the moment there are 3-6 trains/day taking Ukrains from Poland to Berlin. Around 350 Ukrains/day (most want to stay in Poland atm and just some with friends/family travel to Berlin). Berlin and Brandenburg still have slots for refugees, just if the number will rising up too much it’ll be difficult but Berlin’s government is already talking about new options for Ukrains bc the government thinks more people will travel to Berlin soon. At the moment there are also many private persons at Berlin’s main train station who offer help to Ukrains who don’t know somebody here (including Ukrains/Polish/Russians who can speak these languages in case someone is unable to speak English).

Germany-wide there are around 124 000 beds at the moment offered by citizens:

(I assume the help organisation of the Instagram link knows how to find those beds in a certain city because the help organisations work together).

Many Polish, Russian and Ukrains who’re already living in Germany for a while create supportive groups together now. Today the news showed an Belarus/Russian couple, living in Germany, with friends in Ukraine and now a mother with two little kids can live with them.

The pain is there for all and the Ukrain mother said that nationality doesn’t matter or ethnics the only thing that really matters is a good heart.

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@tanakoncik_588

Guidelines

This post is to remind everyone of our Viki Community Guidelines.

In light of various discussions that have turned sour, we have decided to no longer accept topics in this forum of the following:

Politics 

This topic is not about politics, we only want to help, if people are looking for help, information or seak refuge. So please don’t post political stances here.
There are others who will judge this situation.

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@irene06

Hope you and fam, and all of Ukraine, are bracing for the worst but hoping for the best during this war. Not sure if you are still able to access news or if you even have the time and mind to do so, here are a couple of the latest I thought would interest you (not to alarm but to inform), and help you in making the right call as to when and where you (and fam/others) should flee, should you decide to do that.

Also, from the article below:

https://www.thelocal.at/20220227/eu-warns-bloc-nations-to-brace-for-millions-of-ukraine-refugees

> On Sunday neighboring Austria announced that its state railway company OeBB would offer free travel to those escaping the conflict. Austrian Transport Minister Leonore Gewessler said in a tweet that she had agreed with OeBB that “Ukrainians who are fleeing will be able to use OeBB trains without tickets.

:pray: :pray: :pray:
Praying it will pass soon.

image

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Germany- using trains
Once again they thought of making it a bit more complicated

https://www.bahn.de/info/helpukraine

Information from the German goverment

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https://news.airbnb.com/help-ukraine/

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@zyxw @jadecloud88 @lutra @mirjam_465
You really helped me a lot! Thanks! :blue_heart::yellow_heart:

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I have updated the initial post to add this note. Please do not use this thread to post any of your personal opinion about what’s going on between Russia and Ukraine or to defend any side or to write any hurtful comments or do any name-calling. Only post useful and helpful information for our Ukrainian friends who are suffering right now. Thank you.

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Yes, this is not a topic against our Russian friends on Viki. We just want to provide Ukrainian people (and Russian people who live there) with useful information if they want to flee to other countries and show them our support. That’s all.

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Well said! Thank you!

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But not here, not now. That’s for a different thread’s topic.

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leerla73

1

4d

I saw a video post where the airport was blown up, and a local recording the planes bombing in their area.

I received this devotion, and share it here as a prayer.

By Invitation Only

Today’s Scripture

“When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you.” Isaiah 43:2, NLT

TODAY’S WORD

When you face adversity, is your typical prayer, “God, get me out of this”? There’s nothing wrong with that prayer, but before you get out, you have to invite God in. Sometimes the miracle is in what God wants to do in the situation. Why don’t you start praying, “God, come into this hospital room, come into this troubled relationship, come into this anxiety”? More powerful than God bringing you out is when He comes in and gives you favor despite who’s trying to push you down. He comes in and gives you strength you can’t explain. He comes in and gives you the grace to outlast the challenge.

In today’s Scripture, God says that although adversities are going to come, He will be with you in them. Are you trying to get out of the fire God is going to take you through? Are you fighting the fire, wondering why it happened? Everything will change if you start inviting God in. He promised He’ll be with you; maybe He’s just waiting for your invitation.

A Prayer for Today

“Father, thank You for Your promise to be with me through life’s fires. I know that You’re here with me now, and I invite You into every challenging situation in my life. Help me to grow through it, to increase my faith, to let my character come up higher. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.”
Good morning and do have yourself a triumphant Thursday and may God bless you more abundantly!

This topic is temporarily closed for at least 4 hours due to a large number of community flags.

This topic was automatically opened after 30 days.

Mega politics thread here open again, everything everybody has said is basically politics. Should it be open? Isn’t the rules against it being open? Otherwise I can jump into the mix too xD

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@mattlock
Please don’t, we only wanted to use this thread as a useful tool for people in Ukraine who seek help either while they stay in the country or want to leave it.
This thread is not about the actions of the nations involved, but to provide help for those in need, even we can’t be there in person at least we can provide some information.

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Exactly, which is why I didn’t join. :stuck_out_tongue: It’s already hugely political, per minimum, your making a statement of support for a group of people directly involved in a war (war isn’t political?). Not that I do actually personally support what you in the thread are trying to do also :).

Some quick things i noticed;
-What about refugees from Russia? There also impacted and some fleeing.
-Discussing a refugee crisis, that has never led to political parties rise and fall.
-Involving God in this mess, oh boy.
-The French elections (etc.) next week are partially influensed by these topics, thus indirectly your commenting on these.
-Directly aiding people fleeing a war, uuu, if any of you have admited to this in this thread… Thus filling the definition of directly participating in political event and making political statments of support with concrete actions.
-Discussing places being blown up and bombings
-Labelling opponents of your preffered side saboteurs, when they commited such acts :smiley:
-In directly discussing EU regulations on refugees
-Oh my, sanctions…
-Mentioning political leaders doing political stuff in a political event
-Labelling a certain country something, such as ‘The dictatorship in Moscow’, kinda blatant political stance if you ask me
-Posting videos of PoWs
-etc etc etc. Could probably name a 100 more political points.

My point: the rules should be changed or thread should remain banned for massive breakage of said rules. :wink:

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