EU may narrow temporary protection for Ukrainians: new rules considered for new applicants
The capitals of the European Union countries are discussing the possibility of narrowing the scope of the Temporary Protection Directive, in particular by excluding Ukrainian men of conscription age from it. This was reported by Euractiv citing an internal document of the EU Council.
The mechanism of temporary protection, which after Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022 granted over 4 million Ukrainians the right to live and work in the EU without undergoing national asylum procedures, is at issue. Currently, the program is valid until March 2027.
According to the document obtained by the publication, among the options for future extension is narrowing the scope of protection. In particular — through "exclusion of men of conscription age" or persons who left Ukraine in violation of established rules.
If such changes are implemented, they will apply only to new applicants seeking temporary protection status.
As of March 2026, 4.33 million Ukrainians had temporary protection status in the EU. The largest numbers were in Germany (1.27 million), Poland (961.4 thousand), and the Czech Republic (379.8 thousand). Among recipients, 43.3% were women, 30.1% children, and 26.6% men.
The future of the mechanism is planned to be discussed by migration ministers at the EU Justice and Home Affairs Council meeting. A European Commission spokesperson said discussions on this issue with national governments are ongoing.
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