EU prepares to extend temporary protection for Ukrainians after 2027: new restrictions are also being discussed

The European Union countries are inclined to extend the temporary protection mechanism for Ukrainians after March 2027. At the same time, Brussels is already discussing possible changes to the rules, in particular regarding men of military age.

This was stated by the European Commissioner for Migration, Magnus Brunner, after a meeting of the EU Council on Home Affairs in Luxembourg.

The EU supports the extension of protection for Ukrainians

According to the European Commissioner, during the discussion, the majority of member states supported the idea of ​​extending temporary protection for Ukrainian citizens.

“Exactly a year ago, we extended temporary protection until March 2027. And today the idea was that we should extend temporary protection,” Brunner said.

He stressed that the European Commission will soon hold consultations:

with the Ukrainian authorities;

with the EU countries that have accepted the largest number of Ukrainian refugees.

After that, Brussels plans to prepare an official legislative proposal.

EU discusses possible restrictions for men of draft age

The meeting also raised the issue of possible exclusion from the temporary protection mechanism of Ukrainian men of draft age.

According to Magnus Brunner, one of the proposed approaches involves:

abolishing automatic temporary protection for men aged 23 to 60;
reviewing the status of persons who have illegally left the territory of Ukraine.

“This is also what the Ukrainians want us to do,” the European Commissioner noted.

Poland and Germany support the review of the rules

Previously, the Polish side expressed support for the idea of ​​excluding Ukrainian men of draft age from the EU temporary protection system.

German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt also spoke out in favor of abolishing the automatic granting of such status to certain categories of Ukrainians.

At the same time, the EU emphasizes that this is not about ending humanitarian support for Ukrainians, but about a possible revision of the mechanism for granting special status.

Final decision not yet taken

The European Commission is expected to present a formal legislative proposal in the coming weeks.

The matter will then be submitted for further negotiations between EU member states.