European Union extends temporary protection for Ukrainians until 2026
On 25 June 2024, the European Council adopted a decision to extend the temporary protection of Ukrainian refugees until 4 March 2026.
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 is due to run until 4 March 2025.
The extension decision does not change the decision of March 2022 in terms of the categories of persons to whom the temporary protection applies.
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
- 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.
More information on your rights in the EU as a Ukrainian fleeing the war can be found here.
