In July, the European Commission plans to announce major changes to the Temporary Protection Directive for Ukrainian citizens. This will be the most significant update to the rules since their introduction in 2022. The reform will affect not only men but also women, substantially changing the procedure for obtaining status in European Union countries.
According to the Rzeczpospolita publication, the right to temporary protection in the future will directly depend on the applicant having a special certificate of non-mobilization. The document must be issued by competent Ukrainian authorities. Without confirmation that the citizen is not subject to conscription, obtaining the status will be impossible.
Work on the new regulations is nearing completion. This was stated by Maciej Duszyk, Deputy Minister of the Interior and Administration of Poland. He confirmed that Warsaw supports the Brussels initiative.
Who will be affected by the changes
It is important to clarify that the new requirements will apply exclusively to citizens who plan to apply for temporary protection in the future. Those who already have this status in EU countries will not lose it. This applies to both men and women.
Insiders report that the initiative to restrict entry and tighten conditions did not come from European officials, but from Kyiv. According to sources, the Ukrainian side itself approached the European Commission with a request to introduce such measures.
Reasons and prerequisites
Kyiv's decision appears paradoxical against the backdrop of last year's events. Almost a year ago, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy lifted the ban on leaving the country for young Ukrainians aged 18 to 22. However, this measure led to unforeseen consequences: a mass exodus of youth to Europe began.
Statistics confirm the scale of migration. During the first three months after the ban was lifted, more than 121,000 Ukrainian men aged 18–22 entered Poland. Most of them did not stay in the country and continued their journey to Germany.
Current situation in the EU
According to the latest Eurostat data, 4.3 million Ukrainian citizens enjoy temporary protection status across the European Union. The leaders in the number of refugees accepted remain Germany (1.2 million people) and Poland (960,000 people).
Previously, European countries discussed whether men of conscription age should be deprived of temporary protection after 2027. It is also known that Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán (Mádár) took a hard line, opposing the granting of protection to Ukrainian men.
