The European Commission has officially proposed to extend the validity of the EU Directive on temporary protection for Ukrainians, but not to provide protection to men in military service.
This was reported by European Commissioner for Home Affairs and Migration Magnus Brunner at a briefing in Brussels.
"We are presenting today a proposal to extend protection for one additional year. [...] The proposal stipulates that temporary protection will not be granted to new arrivals who are not allowed to leave Ukraine due to military obligations," Brunner said.
He added that it is proposed to extend the validity of the Directive until March 4, 2028.
"This is what Ukraine asked us to do, and we are doing it. It also reflects discussions with member states, especially those that have taken in the largest number of Ukrainian refugees," Brunner stressed.
At the same time, Brunner reported the launch of a pilot project that should facilitate the return of Ukrainians to their homeland. According to him, this concerns both those who plan to return now and those who can do so after the necessary conditions are created.
A proposal to extend protection, but not for those liable for military service, has been submitted to the EU Council for consideration. Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Michael OʼFlaherty urged European countries not to rush into prematurely ending temporary protection and support programs for Ukrainians.
OʼFlaherty said that limiting temporary protection for some categories of refugees is contrary to human rights principles. He stressed that currently "no region of Ukraine can be considered safe" due to regular shelling, even of Western cities, and the level of civilian casualties over the past and current years has become the highest since the start of the full-scale invasion.
What is the EU Temporary Protection Program?
The EU Temporary Protection Directive (TPD) is a special mechanism that allows people fleeing en masse from war or other major crises to quickly obtain the right to live legally in European Union countries, bypassing the lengthy asylum procedure.
It was first activated for Ukrainians in March 2022, after Russiaʼs full-scale invasion. This directive has existed since 2001 (it was launched after the conflicts in the then Yugoslavia), but has never been applied.
What provides temporary protection:
- the right to reside legally in an EU country;
- access to the labor market;
- medical assistance;
- social support;
- childrenʼs access to education;
- the opportunity to rent housing and use other government services.
As of March 2026, 4.33 million Ukrainians had temporary protection status in the EU. The largest number of them were in Germany (1.27 million), Poland (961 405) and the Czech Republic (379 820).
- Last year, the European Commission approved recommendations for the gradual winding down of the Temporary Protection Program for Ukrainians. These recommendations provide for uniform conditions for all EU member states for the future, when the situation in Ukraine becomes safe to live in.
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