EU Ministers Back Curbs on Protection for Ukrainian Men 23-60 as 4.33 Million Hold Status
Updated
Updated · Reuters · Jun 5
EU Ministers Back Curbs on Protection for Ukrainian Men 23-60 as 4.33 Million Hold Status
3 articles · Updated · Reuters · Jun 5
Summary
EU ministers broadly backed limiting temporary protection for newly arriving Ukrainian men of military age at a Justice and Home Affairs meeting in Luxembourg, Sweden's migration minister said.
Sweden said any curbs should apply only to new applicants, not the 4.33 million Ukrainians already covered by the EU's Temporary Protection Directive.
Johan Forssell said the aim is to keep more men in Ukraine to fight, while the bloc still maintains protection for people displaced by Russia's 2022 invasion.
The European Commission would have to draft any change or extension to the scheme, which now runs until March 2027 and would then need approval from EU governments.
Germany hosts about 29% of Ukrainians under the program, ahead of Poland and Czechia, underscoring how any rule change would ripple across the bloc.