Ukraine has asked EU to withdraw temporary protection for men aged between 23 and 60, - DW
Kyiv has officially initiated the exclusion of Ukrainian men of conscription age from the EU’s Temporary Protection Scheme.
According to Censor.NET, this information was confirmed during a meeting of the EU Justice and Home Affairs Council in Luxembourg by Magnus Brunner, the European Commissioner for Home Affairs and Migration, reports DW.
According to Brunner, discussions on amendments to the Temporary Protection Directive are currently ongoing, and the restriction on men aged 23–60 is "also something the Ukrainians are asking us to do".
What is being proposed and who will be affected?
In general, all EU member states support extending the Temporary Protection Directive for Ukrainian citizens until March 2028. However, many countries are calling for an update to the conditions under which it is granted.
The main issue currently under discussion is: exactly who will the restrictions apply to, if they are adopted? Two options are being considered:
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Complete exclusion of men aged 23–60 from the temporary protection scheme.
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Restrictions will apply only to men of conscription age who enter the EU in the future and apply for status for the first time.
Austria has taken a particularly radical stance, proposing to completely abolish automatic protection for Ukrainian men in this age group from March 2027.
EU officials are focusing on the stance of the countries that have taken in the largest number of Ukrainian refugees — Germany, Austria, Poland, the Czech Republic and the Baltic states.
In the coming weeks, the European Commission is set to formally draft and present a concrete proposal on the future of temporary protection for Ukrainians. The document will then be put to a vote among EU member states, where a qualified majority will be required for its approval.
