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easy. outside a makeshift shelter in tijuana, it didn't take long to find some of the thousands of ukrainians who flew here on tourist visas including alona, her husband, and their 2-year-old daughter. they said they fled the war from kyiv the day it started. so you were in kyiv and then you went to -- >> poland. >> reporter: poland? >> from poland to germany, from germany to mexico. >> reporter: a long trip. >> yes. >> reporter: a trip she told me they hoped would end soon the other side of the border in the u.s. as they unloaded, we met up with erica penaro, an immigration attorney who's worked at the border for years. >> i've been to mexico many times with you, this is the first time i've seen a sign welcoming people in ukrainian. >> as you see, it's a well-organized operation with vans picking folks up at the airport. and then this bus is about to take people to the border. >> reporter: special treatment no other group of migrants gets,
but we have some great people here, and it's easier to us because we have our friends. >> reporter: one extraordinary family. alona tells me they got one year humanitarian parole from the u.s. once they cross the border. a year from now they're going to potentially try to go back to ukraine if it's safe to do so. the biden administration with this new plan is discouraging people from going to mexico like her family did. but they're glad that they did it. it also raises a really important question that we're going to talk about on "nightly news" which is how can so many ukrainian families be admitted at the southern border, 15,000 since the start of the war. but you have many, many, countless, nonwhite migrants turned away, trying to cross at those exact same border crossings claiming fleeing violence, as well. it's got many activist, many attorneys up in arms and for good reason. >> yeah. that is a really good question. i asked that of somebody involved in this early on. and again, they are fleeing
killed civilians up close, shooting people in the head. in borodyanka most were killed by air strikes but as many or perhaps more civilians died here. tetiana and her husband came back today. they escaped to another town. >> what is it like to come here now and see your home like this? >> translator: i have no words, my husband is a builder, she says, 30 years, we were making this house for our children, now we have no future here. we went up to their apartment. >> how many of your friends and neighbors died in these attacks? >> translator: we just buried our colleague and her family, there were three of them, she says. another of her friends, alona and her father and her brother-in-law, are under this rubble next door. deliberately attacking civilians is a war crime. unless russia can somehow prove these were military targets.
move yesterday. it comes as major diplomatic efforts are underway, french of the macron, turkey's erdogan seeking a cease-fire to no avail. 1 million ukrainians have fled their country. according to the. u.n., this is the fastest refugee crisis since world war ii. media is shutting down offices in russia according to a new law. they say it is an assault, invasion. a senior reporter and editorial producer at real vision, known as r.t. america. alona, welcome. are you surprised by this law? it feels so draconian. has there always been in your experience some level of media
now hosting over 500 people, serving 8000 meals a day over five sites and sending food to be border, they have just released stepped up, and i think people in the uk want to help, but they don't know what to do, they don't know how to get money and resources actually on the ground to be people gladly work. i have raised over £5,000 and 24 hours, just trying to buy an industrial washing machine for a kamil�*s charity, so that they can do laundry. machine for a kamil's charity, so that they can do laundry.- that they can do laundry. alona, what does _ that they can do laundry. alona, what does it _ that they can do laundry. alona, what does it mean _ that they can do laundry. alona, what does it mean to _ that they can do laundry. alona, what does it mean to you - that they can do laundry. alona, what does it mean to you to - that they can do laundry. alona, . what does it mean to you to receive this help? obviously you're worried about what is happening back home in your country, but the love and support you have been given by kamil on so many other people in poland, it must mean so much to you. yeah, they help. — it must mean so much to you. yeah, they help. i — it must mean so much to you. yeah, they help. i don't — it must mean so much to you. yeah, they help, i don't know— it must mean so much to you. yeah, they help, i don't know how - it must mean so much to you. yeah, they help, i don't know how it - it must mean so much to you. yeah, they help, i don't know how it is -
kamil here, and i have been working with the charity since thursday. kamil, from your perspective, give us an idea of how the local community have got involved and how many people are helping at the moment. ., ., ., , ., , ., moment. half of the households are su ”ortin moment. half of the households are sopporting our _ moment. half of the households are supporting our ukrainian _ moment. half of the households are supporting our ukrainian friends, . moment. half of the households are supporting our ukrainian friends, so | supporting our ukrainian friends, so people _ supporting our ukrainian friends, so people open their houses and their hearts. _ people open their houses and their hearts, because institutional help is always— hearts, because institutional help is always delayed, so we needed to respond _ is always delayed, so we needed to respond to— is always delayed, so we needed to respond to such a big migration much faster— respond to such a big migration much faster than— respond to such a big migration much faster than the government or other institutions— faster than the government or other institutions can deliver the help to our guests— institutions can deliver the help to our guests from ukraine. and alona, what has it been _ our guests from ukraine. and alona, what has it been like _ our guests from ukraine. and alona, what has it been like for— our guests from ukraine. and alona, what has it been like for you? - our guests from ukraine. and alona, what has it been like for you? we . what has it been like for you? we know that millions of people have fled ukraine, many of them have ended up in poland, like yourself. where have you come from, and what have the last few weeks been like for you?
carry-on bag, it's the entire belongings they brought with them. alona and katia are traveling with three kids by train with almost no food or water. where will you go? >> we are not familiar with, so they want to pick a small town the rest and figure things out. >> o'donnell: masha and 5-year-old son benjamin haven't had a hot meal in days. is that your toy? >> yeah. >> o'donnell: they have lots of toys here. how are you doing? oh, i'm sorry. where are you from? >> i lived in suma with my husband, and in suma -- >> o'donnell: scared, a tired, they don't have to look for the
shelter, and treated her like their own daughter. by doing that, the whole family, i am in debted to them forever. and i feel, like you said, the reason i'm here alive and i have family, three sons, you know, is because of them. it was my moral obligation to assist them and get them out of the war zone. >> so maria, who is the woman who saved your grandmother, this is her granddaughter lessia and her great niece alona. you have been in touch with them for decades. i wonder what you were thinking when you saw russia was invading ukraine and just how incredibly worried you were for them. >> yeah. we were very worried. we couldn't imagine the
behind us. it is amazing what you are doing. thank— behind us. it is amazing what you are doing. thank you _ behind us. it is amazing what you are doing. thank you for - behind us. it is amazing what you are doing. thank you for being i behind us. it is amazing what you l are doing. thank you for being with us this morning, kamil. alona, lovely to speak with you. neil, stay safe as well. thank you forjoining us this morning on bbc breakfast, all of you. us this morning on bbc breakfast, all of ou. . , ., , .,, all of you. incredible what people are doinu. all of you. incredible what people are doing. and _ all of you. incredible what people are doing. and so _ all of you. incredible what people are doing. and so helpful- all of you. incredible what people are doing. and so helpful to - all of you. incredible what people l are doing. and so helpful to alona and the millions _ are doing. and so helpful to alona and the millions of— are doing. and so helpful to alona and the millions of other - are doing. and so helpful to alona and the millions of other people i and the millions of other people fleeing ukraine at the moment. now the weather with matt. more sunshine to come through this week, so if you were working and mist out, you will have some of that as well. then this morning, a lovely bright start, get into that time of your body weather watchers are starting to come in herefordshire and many areas, a cold start to the week, —6 in parts of aberdeenshire, -5 week, —6 in parts of aberdeenshire, —5 in parts of oxfordshire, but plus five to seven across western areas. a bit cloudier today than what we saw on the weekend, that is drifting slowly northwards and eastwards, so sunny spells rather than clear blue
they help, i don't know how it is possible. — they help, idon't know how it is possible. but— they help, i don't know how it is possible, but we _ they help, idon't know how it is possible, but we thank- they help, i don't know how it is possible, but we thank these i possible, but we thank these people, because _ possible, but we thank these people, because it _ possible, but we thank these people, because it is — possible, but we thank these people, because it is very, _ possible, but we thank these people, because it is very, very— possible, but we thank these people, because it is very, very huge, - possible, but we thank these people, because it is very, very huge, huge . because it is very, very huge, huge help for— because it is very, very huge, huge help for us, — because it is very, very huge, huge help for us, and _ because it is very, very huge, huge help for us, and people _ because it is very, very huge, huge help for us, and people in - because it is very, very huge, huge help for us, and people in poland l help for us, and people in poland who help — help for us, and people in poland who help us, _ help for us, and people in poland who help us, we _ help for us, and people in poland who help us, we are _ help for us, and people in poland who help us, we are very, - help for us, and people in poland who help us, we are very, very. who help us, we are very, very happy — who help us, we are very, very ha - . �* who help us, we are very, very ha . _ �* ., , who help us, we are very, very ha - . �* . , ., , happy. and kamil, 'ust finally to ou, happy. and kamil, 'ust finally to you. what h happy. and kamil, 'ust finally to you. what sort— happy. and kamil, 'ust finally to you, what sort of_ happy. and kamil, just finally to you, what sort of things - happy. and kamil, just finally to you, what sort of things do - happy. and kamil, just finally to you, what sort of things do you | you, what sort of things do you need, and what sort of stories are you hearing from people like alona about what they have come through? there are thousands of stories we heai’, _ there are thousands of stories we hear. and — there are thousands of stories we hear, and they are different and always— hear, and they are different and always dramatic for these people, and what — always dramatic for these people, and what we are trying to do, we do not want _ and what we are trying to do, we do not want to— and what we are trying to do, we do not want to reject it mother with children— not want to reject it mother with children on her hands. we are renovating _ children on her hands. we are renovating the building behind us, and there — renovating the building behind us, and there will be another 700 beds here hopefully if we have the proper equipment and money for the utilities _ equipment and money for the utilities. currently there are 100 mothers — utilities. currently there are 100 mothers and children in the building behind _ mothers and children in the building behind us _ mothers and children in the building behind us. it is mothers and children in the building behind us. , ., ., mothers and children in the building behind us. , . ., ., mothers and children in the building behind us. , . . ., , ., behind us. it is amazing what you are doing- _