European Commission to extend temporary protection status for Ukrainians - Stefanishyna
Ukraine and the European Commission have agreed that the status of temporary protection for Ukrainians in the EU will be reviewed when the security situation improves, but there are no conditions for this at the moment.
This was stated by Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration Olha Stefanishyna during the International Summit of Cities and Regions, Censor.NET reports citing Ukrinform.
"I have been in constant dialogue with the EU Commissioner for Migration and Home Affairs (Ilva Johansson - Ed.) since February 24, 2022, and we assess the situation every three months. We have repeatedly discussed with her the return of Ukrainians and the extension of the decision on temporary protection. I had a conversation with her yesterday. We have decided that the status of temporary protection will be extended... because the security conditions do not allow us to make any other decision," Stefanishyna said.
She emphasized the importance of the security factor. Ukraine has an agreement with the European Commission: as soon as the security situation changes, the status of temporary protection will be reviewed so that the process of returning Ukrainians is smooth.
"But now there are no conditions for such a decision," the Deputy Prime Minister stated.
She also emphasized that the issues of mobilization, the register of persons liable for military service, and the status of temporary protection are not related to each other.
"We fixed this yesterday at talks with Ilva Johansson. We have an internal process, we need to ensure the registration of persons liable for military service. This is being done through a series of diplomatic steps through diplomatic and consular work," Stefanishyna said.
As a reminder, after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the EU activated the so-called Temporary Protection Directive, which granted Ukrainian refugees the right to stay legally in the EU and receive basic social services, including health care, education, and the right to employment. This document will be valid until March 2025 with the possibility of extension.
