European Commission proposes to limit temporary protection for Ukrainian men of military age

The European Commission has taken the initiative to change the rules for granting temporary protection to Ukrainians in EU countries. In particular, it is proposed to stop granting such status to newly arrived men of military age who are subject to mobilization under Ukrainian law.

This was stated by European Commissioner for Home Affairs and Migration Magnus Brunner. According to him, persons who are not allowed to leave Ukraine due to military obligations should not automatically receive temporary protection in the European Union.

Temporary protection status for Ukrainians has been in effect in the EU since March 2022 and is currently calculated until March 2027. Its feature is a simplified procedure without the need for individual consideration of applications, as is the case when obtaining refugee status.

According to Eurostat, as of the end of March 2026, more than 4.33 million Ukrainians are under temporary protection in the EU, of whom more than a quarter are adult men.

The European Commission proposal will not apply to Ukrainians already in the EU and will only come into force after approval by the Council of the European Union. It is initially intended for men aged 23 to 60.

The initiative has already been supported by some EU member states, including Germany and Austria. However, critics believe that such changes could put additional pressure on the temporary protection mechanism and undermine its humanitarian function.