EU Solidarity with Ukraine: Commission proposes to extend temporary protection for people fleeing Russian aggression against Ukraine until March 2025

The European Commission is proposing today to further extend the temporary protection for people fleeing Russia’s aggression against Ukraine from 4 March 2024 to 3 March 2025. This will provide certainty and support for more than 4 million persons enjoying protection across the EU.

The EU activated the Temporary Protection Directive on 4 March 2022 with a unanimous decision by Member States and it was automatically extended by one year. The Commission considers that the reasons for temporary protection persist and that the temporary protection should therefore be prolonged as a necessary and appropriate response to the current, volatile situation, which is not yet conducive to the safe and durable return of those enjoying temporary protection in the EU.

Since the activation of the temporary protection , only a week after Russia’s brutal war of aggression against Ukraine, Member States showed unprecedented solidarity with Ukrainian people, not only by welcoming them in their countries, but also by making concrete efforts to facilitate their inclusion in society.

Next steps

This Commission proposal will now have to be adopted by the Council.

Background

The temporary protection directive provides immediate protection and access to rights in the EU, including residency rights, access to the labour market, housing, social welfare assistance, medical and other assistance. It also helps to prevent overwhelming pressure on national asylum systems and allows Member States to manage arrivals in an orderly and effective way. The Commission considers that the reasons for temporary protection persist and that the temporary protection should therefore be prolonged as a necessary and appropriate response to the current situation.

The Solidarity Platform ‘Ukraine’, established by the Commission at the beginning of the war, brings together EU institutions, Member States, Schengen Associated Countries, EU Agencies, international organisations, Ukrainian and Moldovan authorities. It offers an informal and flexible forum for discussion on operational matters to coordinate support on the ground.