The EU has extended temporary protection for refugees from Ukraine — but not for those liable for military service
This is stated on the Council of the EU’s website.
At the same time, from now on, protection will only be granted to those who ‘are fulfilling their military obligations in Ukraine’ — meaning that conscripts who have crossed the border illegally will not be eligible. The EU states that it has taken this decision in view of “Ukraine’s changing defence needs”.
The new rules apply only to new applicants — they must now present a passport bearing a stamp confirming lawful departure from Ukraine, or a document confirming exemption from military service or completion of military service.
What is the EU’s Temporary Protection Programme?
The EU Temporary Protection Programme (Temporary Protection Directive, TPD) is a special mechanism that allows people fleeing en masse from war or another major crisis to quickly obtain the right to live legally in EU countries without having to go through a lengthy asylum procedure.
For Ukrainians, it was first activated in March 2022, following Russia’s full-scale invasion. This directive has been in place since 2001 (it was introduced following the conflicts in the former Yugoslavia), but had never been applied before.
What does temporary protection offer:
- the right to reside legally in an EU country;
- access to the labour market;
- medical care;
- social support;
- access to education for children;
- the ability to rent accommodation and access other public services.
As of March 2026, 4.33 million Ukrainians had temporary protection status in the EU. The largest numbers 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 phasing out of the temporary protection scheme for Ukrainians. These recommendations set out uniform conditions for all EU member states for the future, once the situation in Ukraine becomes safe for people to live there.
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