The European Union is considering a significant narrowing of the temporary protection program for Ukrainians. In particular, men of conscription age may be excluded from the updated scheme, which is planned to be extended after March 2027. This is reported by the publication Euractiv.
According to journalists, discussions on changing the rules began during the discussion of the future EU Temporary Protection Directive (TPD). Currently, a restriction of the program for two categories is being considered: men of conscription age, as well as individuals who have illegally left Ukraine.
They note that potential restrictions will only apply to new asylum seekersarriving in the EU.
By the way, a number of European governments have expressed concern that the proportion of men of mobilization age among new Ukrainian arrivals has significantly increased. Capitals of some countries emphasize that a review of the system is needed "in Ukraine's interests" - to support its defense capabilities in the war against Russia and provide resources for the country's future reconstruction.
Last year, the European Commission already recommended that member states prepare for the gradual phasing out of the program and transfer Ukrainians to more stable national legal statuses, but this process is currently uneven.
It is expected that the EU migration ministers will consider this issue in detail this week at a meeting of the Justice and Home Affairs Council. At the same time, there is no official decision or proposal from the European Commission regarding the further extension of the Directive yet.
Recall that some countries are already introducing stricter restrictions at the national level, in particular, Norway, where the country's government has already canceled the provision of temporary collective protection for newly arrived Ukrainian men aged 18 to 60.
Also Denmark, where, in addition to restrictions for men aged 23-60, Copenhagen is considering refusing automatic protection for refugees from 14 regions of Ukraine considered less affected by hostilities.
As of March 2026, 4.33 million Ukrainians have temporary protection status in the EU countries. The largest number of our compatriots have been accepted by Germany (1.27 million), Poland (961 thousand), and the Czech Republic (almost 380 thousand).
