The number of asylum applications in Germany has risen significantly in the past year. In addition to around one millions Ukrainians seeking protection, almost a quarter of a million people from elsewhere submitted asylum applications in Germany in 2022.
As the rhetoric heats up, Russian missiles keep falling on Ukrainian cities, making it harder for life to return to normal. For Dorcas, who studied in the Eastern city of Sumy, it is time to move on.
Close to 8 million people have fled Ukraine since Russia's invasion on February 24. In Latvia, Irisha and Iryna are doing their best to help fellow Ukrainians in exile and back home. They're also part of a photo exhibition on Ukrainian refugees mounted in the capital, Riga.
Norway has accepted over 32,000 mostly Ukrainian refugees so far this year, according to Norwegian government figures. The non-EU country expects to take in a similar number in 2023.
Ukrainians who have fled their country in the 10 months since the Russian invasion are facing their first festive season in Germany. Many have only one Christmas wish.