In total, more than 4.3 million refugees from Ukraine have fled to Europe (Photo: REUTERS/Pierre Albouy)
According to a decision published on July 15, temporary protection will no longer be granted to new applicants who have not complied with the requirements of Ukrainian law regarding military service and do not have permission from the Ukrainian authorities to leave the country.
According to DW, to obtain this status, new applicants will need to confirm the legality of their departure from Ukraine. Documents confirming authorized departure, exemption from military service, or fulfillment of relevant obligations may be used as proof.
However, the new rules will not affect Ukrainians who are already benefiting from the temporary protection regime in EU countries. For them, the conditions of stay will remain unchanged.
It should be noted that the temporary protection regime was introduced by the European Union in March 2022 following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. It grants Ukrainian refugees the right to residence, access to the labor market, healthcare, education, and social support in all EU member states. According to the Council of the EU, more than four million people have benefited from the mechanism since its launch.
The European Commission proposed extending the mechanism until March 2028 in late June, noting that the situation in Ukraine still does not allow a significant portion of displaced persons to return safely. At the same time, Brussels proposed taking into account Ukraine’s defense needs, which is reflected in the new rules for future applicants.
The Temporary Protection Mechanism was established by a 2001 EU directive to provide rapid assistance to people fleeing zones of armed conflict en masse. It was first activated following the outbreak of Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine.
