The Council of the European Union decided to extend temporary protection for refugees from Ukraine until March 2028.
This is stated on the website of the Council of the EU.
At the same time, protection will now only be provided to those who are “fulfilling their military obligations in Ukraine”, meaning that conscripts who have crossed the border illegally will not be able to receive it. The EU says it made this decision in light of “Ukraine’s changing defense needs”.
The innovation applies only to new applicants. They must now show a passport with a stamp confirming legal departure from Ukraine or a document confirming exemption from military service or completion of it.
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 without a 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 was 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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