Ukrainian refugees: EU extends temporary protection until March 2026

Today, the Council of the European Union adopted a decision to extend its temporary protection until 4 March 2026 for the more than 4 million Ukrainians fleeing from Russia’s war of aggression.

The temporary protection mechanism was triggered on 4 March 2022 – only a few days after Russian armed forces launched a large-scale invasion of Ukraine – and was due to run until 4 March 2025.

Temporary protection provides immediate and collective protection to a large group of displaced persons who arrive in the EU and who are not in a position to return to their country of origin.

The system alleviates the pressure on national asylum systems because applications do not have to be examined individually. People benefitting from temporary protection enjoy the same rights across the EU. These rights include: residence, access to the labour market and housing, medical assistance, social welfare assistance, and access to education for children.

The EU’s temporary protection law sets minimum standards of protection. The actual level of assistance can vary from one member state to another.

According to their national procedures, member states may have to adopt additional implementation acts to formalise the prolongation.

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Press release

How the EU helps refugees from Ukraine