The European Union wants to extend the protection of Ukrainian refugees until 2028, with an exception for certain men eligible for military service.

The European Commission has proposed extending until March 2028 the temporary protection scheme granted to Ukrainians who have sought refuge in the European Union. This measure, implemented after the start of the Russian invasion in February 2022, would continue to offer the right to reside, work, and access to essential services to millions of people displaced by the war.

This extension, however, comes with a significant change. The Commission wants men of conscription age who have recently left their country without authorization to automatically benefit from this protection within the European Union.

The European Commissioner for Migration, Magnus Brunner, explained that this proposal aims to reconcile humanitarian imperatives with Ukraine's defense needs. According to him, the Ukrainian authorities have asked the European Union to no longer automatically grant temporary protection to individuals subject to military obligations who lack official authorization to leave the country.

"In order to guarantee this balance, temporary protection should not be automatically granted to newly arrived persons who are not authorized by the Ukrainian authorities to leave Ukraine due to their military obligations," the commissioner said at a press conference.

According to European Union data, more than 4,33 million Ukrainians are currently benefiting from this temporary protection scheme, activated in the first weeks of the Russian offensive. It is the largest collective protection mechanism ever implemented by the Union.

This proposal comes as the Council of Europe's Commissioner for Human Rights has warned against any reduction in protections for Ukrainian refugees. She called on European states to maintain their support and avoid any measures that could encourage premature returns to a country where war continues.