Ukrainian displaced under temporary EU protection drop to 4.33 million in March

Brussels – As of 31 March, 4.33 million non-EU citizens who fled Ukraine had been granted temporary protection status in the European Union. According to Eurostat, the total number of beneficiaries decreased by 68,980 people, or 1.6 per cent, compared with the end of the previous month. Italy was hosting 33,720 non-EU citizens who had fled the war unleashed by the Kremlin against Kyiv.

The data shows that the EU countries hosting the largest number of people under temporary protection are Germany (1,274,955 people, 29.4 per cent of the EU total), Poland (961,405 people, 22.2 per cent), and the Czech Republic (379,820 people, 8.8 per cent).

The number of people under temporary protection has risen in fourteen countries and fallen in thirteen. The largest increases were recorded in Germany (up by more than 7,480 people), Spain (up by 2,665), and Romania (up by 2,125). The largest decrease was in Italy (-30,365 people, equivalent to -47.4 per cent), due to the simultaneous expiry of a large number of permits at the end of March. This was followed by the Czech Republic (-19,810) and Finland (-8,080). The highest percentages of people with temporary protection per thousand were recorded in the Czech Republic (34.8), Poland (26.3), and Slovakia (26.2). The overall EU estimate, however, stands at 9.6.

As of 31 March 2026, Ukrainian nationals accounted for over 98.4 per cent of those benefiting from temporary protection in the EU. Adult women accounted for 43.3 per cent of beneficiaries, children for 30.1 per cent, and adult men for 26.6 per cent.

Temporary protection provides immediate and collective protection to a large group of displaced persons arriving in the EU who are unable to return to their country of origin. Anyone who left Ukraine after 24 February 2022 to flee the war unleashed by Russia is entitled to temporary protection in any EU country, pursuant to the Council Implementing Decision 2022/382 of 4 March 2022. Temporary protection lasts for at least one year and may be extended depending on the situation in Ukraine. The rights enshrined in the Temporary Protection Directive include a residence permit, access to the labour market and housing, medical care, and access to education for minors. On 13 June 2025, the European Council adopted a proposal to extend temporary protection for Ukrainian citizens from 4 March 2026 to 4 March 2027.