EU extends temporary protection for displaced Ukrainians until March 4, 2027
That’s according to the European Council press service, Ukrinform reports.
“Today, the Council voiced its unanimous support for a proposal to extend the temporary protection for the more than 4 million Ukrainians fleeing from Russia’s war of aggression until 4 March 2027,” the report reads.
“While Russia continues to terrorise Ukrainian civilians with indiscriminate air strikes the EU continues to show its solidarity with the Ukrainian people,” said Tomasz Siemoniak, Minister of the Interior and Administration of Poland, which currently presides in the Council. “We will continue to offer protection for millions of Ukrainian refugees for another year.”
He added that the Polish presidency also initiated discussion on a strategy to phase out temporary protection once a just peace is achieved.
The Council will be working toward a common, EU-wide solution, including in the context of returns to Ukraine, the minister explained.
Member states are now discussing a Council recommendation for a coordinated transition out of temporary protection that will address matters such as switching to other legal (residence) statuses, paving the way for a gradual return to Ukraine and stepping up the provision of information about available options.
Memo:
Since March 2022 the EU has given safety and shelter to over 4 million displaced Ukrainians on the basis of the temporary protection directive. Temporary protection is due to run until March 4, 2026 and is now being extended until March 4, 2027.
The system alleviates the pressure on national asylum systems because persons falling under this type of protection do not need to apply for asylum on an individual basis. The extension until March 2027 is a signal to displaced people from Ukraine that it is not necessary to apply for asylum.
People benefitting from temporary protection enjoy the same rights across the EU. These rights include residence, access to the labor market and housing, medical assistance, social welfare assistance, and access to education for children.
