Millions of Ukrainians in EU may lose protection after war - Euractiv
The legal status of millions of Ukrainian refugees in the EU may be at risk due to the lack of a unified strategy after the potential end of the war with Russia.
This is reported by Euractiv, Censor.NET informs.
After Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, EU countries activated the Temporary Protection Directive (TPD), which allowed millions of Ukrainians to stay legally in the European Union. However, the EU currently lacks a clear plan of action for the end of hostilities, creating uncertainty for an estimated 4.3 million Ukrainians.
Polls show that an increasing number of refugees do not plan to return to Ukraine, with the share of those willing to return dropping from 77% in 2023 to 65% in 2024.
Despite the fact that temporary protection has been extended until March 2026, member states have different interpretations of this directive, which creates unequal living conditions for Ukrainians.
The European Commission is already exploring options, including:
- extension of the TPD,
- transition to national statuses,
- support for those wishing to return to Ukraine.
As noted, a number of countries are already introducing national solutions. Poland offers a three-year temporary resident status, while the Czech Republic offers a five-year residence permit for working Ukrainians. Other countries, such as Austria, Italy, Estonia, and Latvia, are also working on their own long-term protection mechanisms.
In June, the EU Home Affairs Council plans to consider the future of temporary protection. However, any decision will require the unanimous consent of member states.
According to the UN, as of December 2024, 6.8 million of Ukraine's citizens were outside the country. Some of them are in Russia and Belarus.
