Brussels – No sooner said than done: the European Union has extended temporary protection for Ukrainian refugees until 4 March 2028. The Council of the EU has approved the proposal presented by the European Commission at the end of June, in the belief that “extending protection for a further year will provide clarity and predictability for all those fleeing the war,” Jim O’Callaghan, Ireland’s Minister for Home Affairs and Immigration, the country holding the rotating presidency of the EU Council, said. “The message is clear: we continue to support Ukraine”, he stressed. He then adds: “As part of our support, we also want to make sure Ukraine can defend itself. This is why our temporary protection scheme respects Ukraine’s legitimate needs.”
The Council of the EU is effectively introducing changes to the granting of temporary protection status. This means that, given Ukraine’s changing defence needs, from now on, temporary protection will only be granted to those who fulfil their military obligations in Ukraine. This restriction will apply only to new applicants for temporary protection and not to those already benefiting from such protection in the EU.
In practice, from now on, to obtain temporary protection, people displaced from Ukraine will have to prove compliance with their military service obligations, for example, by presenting a passport bearing an exit stamp issued by the Ukrainian authorities certifying their legal departure from Ukraine. Alternatively, they could present a document, either in paper or electronic form, confirming their exemption from or fulfilment of military obligations.
The EU activated the Temporary Protection Directive on 4 March 2022 by a unanimous decision of the Member States, and it was automatically extended by one year. The first extension to March 2024 was approved in October 2022, and another extension to 4 March 2025 was approved in September 2023. In June 2024, there was a proposal to extend the deadline further until 4 March 2026, while on 13 June 2025, the European Council adopted a decision to extend temporary protection from 4 March 2026 to 4 March 2027. Today (15 July) marks the final stage in the process of protecting Ukrainian citizens fleeing the war.
English version by the Translation Service of Withub
