Ukrainian refugees: EU Commission proposes predictable European way forward

Today, the Commission is setting out a common European path for the future of Ukrainian refugees in the EU. This will ensure stability and continued protection, while also paving the way for a transition out of temporary protection once the necessary conditions are met. By doing so, the Commission is reinforcing its unwavering commitment to support Ukraine for as long as needed.

President von der Leyen said: “Since 2022 we have provided protection for those fleeing Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and we continue to do so. And together with Ukraine we pave the way for people to be able to return and rebuild their homes once it is safe.”

With Russia continuing its illegal attacks, and the situation in Ukraine remaining volatile, the Commission is proposing to prolong the temporary protection for people fleeing Russia’s aggression against Ukraine for an additional year until 4 March 2027. This will provide legal certainty to those enjoying temporary protection and to Member States, ensuring that the same standards of protection continue to apply across the EU. It will also reassure displaced people from Ukraine that applying for international protection is not necessary nor required.

To offer a more stable and lasting perspective, the Commission is also proposing to Member States to prepare for a coordinated transition out of temporary protection by way of a Council Recommendation. The proposed measures address the needs of those residing in the EU as well as the need for Ukraine to rebuild the country, including by supporting safe, voluntary and dignified returns and reintegration.

The Council Recommendation includes the following measures:

• To promote and facilitate the transition into other legal statuses: many of those enjoying temporary protection have integrated into their host societies by learning the language, finding employment or following education. They should have the possibility to transition into national or EU legal statuses that better reflect their new situation. These could be residence permits based on employment, education, research, or a national long-term resident status.
• To pave the way for a gradual return and sustainable reintegration in Ukraine taking into account the needs and capacity of Ukraine: Allowing exploratory visits to Ukraine could help those considering a return home to make informed decisions. Member States should also set up voluntary return programmes in close coordination with the Ukrainian authorities to allow for a gradual return home when temporary protection ends.
• Better information about available options: The Commission supports the establishment of Unity Hubs in Member States, in collaboration with the Ukrainian authorities. Unity Hubs will serve as multipurpose information centres for both the integration of displaced people in host societies and for returns to Ukraine. They can be financed with the help of Commission funding under the Asylum, Migration and Integration fund (AMIF). To support Member States, the Commission will also appoint a Special Envoy for Ukrainians in the EU.
• Coordination and information exchange between Member States and Ukraine: Information exchange between Member States should continue through the Solidarity Platform, and by timely updating data in the Temporary Protection Registration Platform. The EU Migration Preparedness and Crisis Blueprint Network with a focus on Ukraine, and the Solidarity Platform Ukraine will continue to provide a common situational awareness and a coordinated response.

Next steps

It is now for the Council to formally adopt the Commission proposal to extend temporary protection by one year and the proposal for a Council Recommendation.

Background

Since the start of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, over 4.3 million displaced people from Ukraine have found safety, shelter and opportunities across the EU. Member States and their citizens have sent a powerful message of solidarity towards Ukraine and its people fleeing the war, by offering them immediate protection and support, including access to accommodation, healthcare, education and employment.

The activation of the Temporary Protection Directive set out a common EU approach, giving predictability and legal certainty both to the displaced persons from Ukraine and to the Member States. It has provided immediate protection while also preventing an additional strain on already overstretched national asylum systems. Temporary protection, currently in place until March 2026, has therefore proven to be an effective and proportionate response to the exceptional circumstances. If the circumstances change in Ukraine, allowing for a gradual return and sustainable reintegration in Ukraine, the Commission can make a proposal to the Council to suspend the temporary protection earlier than its foreseen end date.

More Information

• Communication from the Commission to the Parliament and Council on a predictable and common European way forward for Ukrainians in the EU
• Commission proposal for a Council Implementing Decision on extending temporary protection
• Commission proposal for a Council Recommendation on a coordinated approach to the transition out of temporary protection for displaced persons from Ukraine
• Temporary protection for those fleeing Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine: one year on
• Solidarity with Ukraine
• Questions and answers
• Factsheet 

What is the Commission presenting today?

Today the Commission is presenting two proposals and one Communication on a predictable and common European way forward for Ukrainians in the EU. Since the start of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, millions of displaced people from Ukraine have found safety, shelter and opportunities across the EU. Member States and their citizens have sent a powerful message of solidarity towards Ukraine and its people fleeing the war, by offering them immediate protection and support, including access to accommodation, healthcare, education and employment.

Since March 2022, the Temporary Protection Directive continues to provide a sound legal framework to ensure the same standards of protection for millions of displaced people from Ukraine. The current situation in Ukraine shows that safe and durable living conditions do not currently exist in large parts of Ukraine for those wishing to go back. Therefore, the Commission is presenting a proposal for a Council Implementing Decision to further prolong temporary protection for an additional year, until 4 March 2027.

More than anything, Ukraine needs its people, to restore the threads of society and rebuild its economy and infrastructure. At the same time, many displaced Ukrainians are building new lives within the EU. To offer a more stable and lasting perspective, the Commission is committed to supporting displaced people from Ukraine in making informed decisions about their future. This is why the Commission is also proposing today a Council Recommendation on a coordinated approach to the transition out of temporary protection for displaced persons from Ukraine.

Why are you proposing a transition out of temporary protection while the war is still ongoing?

Temporary protection is by nature temporary. When circumstances allow, temporary protection for displaced people from Ukraine will no longer be necessary. The Commission is therefore also proposing a coordinated approach that would pave the way for a smooth and well-coordinated transition out of this status. This will cater for the needs of those residing in the EU, while taking into account the capacity and reconstruction needs of Ukraine.

The main points covered by the proposal for the Council Recommendation are:

• to promote the transition into other legal statuses already before the end of temporary protection
• to pave the way for a gradual return and sustainable reintegration in Ukraine
• to provide information to displaced persons
• to ensure coordination, monitoring and exchange of information among Member States and with the Ukrainian authorities

What are the conditions under the temporary protection? Will they change in this extension?

The Temporary Protection Directive (TPD) grants immediate protection and access to rights in the EU, including residency rights, access to the labour market, suitable accommodation, necessary assistance in terms of social welfare and means of subsistence, if the person enjoying temporary protection does not have sufficient resources, as well as for medical care. The TPD also helps Member States to manage arrivals in an orderly and effective way.

With the extension, the same TPD rules apply. There is no change in the scope, only the date of its application is extended, in line with legal provisions.

What measures are you proposing for a more even distribution of persons enjoying temporary protection between Member States?

In the three years since the activation of the Directive, the need to offer temporary protection, coupled with the possibility for persons to enjoy temporary protection in the Member State of their choice, has had different impacts on the reception systems of Member States. In some cases the impact has been further compounded by a large numbers of asylum applications, and practical concerns such as offering adequate housing. Going forward, it is important to ensure a better balance between Member States.

In particular, Member States should reject requests for residence permits from individuals who have already received a residence permit for temporary protection in another Member State and are already enjoying temporary protection rights on that basis. This can help to avoid multiple registrations for temporary protection and ensure that the rights attached to such protection are enjoyed in only one Member State at a time.

What will happen to Ukrainians who want to stay in the EU after the temporary protection ends? What are the alternatives to temporary protection in the EU?

The recommendations outline the possibilities to switch into other legal statuses even before the end of temporary protection.

Many displaced Ukrainians that are enjoying temporary protection have now been in the Union for several years. They have integrated into their host societies by learning the language, finding employment, and enrolling in education. They should therefore be allowed to switch to other legal statuses that better reflect their actual situation.

For example, Member States should promote and facilitate the access to national legal statuses for those engaged in employment, self-employment, professional training or education and research.

The Commission is also recommending that Member States facilitate the switch to legal migration statuses governed by EU law. Whilst a person cannot simultaneously be enjoying temporary protection status and an EU legal migration status, they should be able to apply for these statuses and make the switch if they meet the conditions.

What are Unity hubs and why is the Commission supporting them?

Following the initiative of the Ukrainian Minister of National Unity to set up centres in the EU that could help maintain a connection with Ukrainians living abroad, some Member States are currently establishing such hubs on their territory. Unity hubs are centers or platforms coordinating and providing various services to Ukrainians abroad, including those who are looking for information to return home or those wishing to integrate in host societies. The hubs could take various forms, such as community centres, info points, digital coordination platforms, applications, or other forms deemed appropriate and efficient in the given Member State.

Several Member States have expressed their interest in setting up such hubs. The first Unity hub is due to open at the beginning of the summer in Berlin. Others are planned to follow soon after in Prague and Alicante.

To support Unity Hubs, Member States are encouraged to make use of the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund programme. This includes the additional resources made available following the Multi-annual Financial Framework revision and the mid-term review of national programmes.

Member States are also encouraged to make use of the expertise and networks provided by international organisations such as the UNHCR, IOM and ICMPD.

The Commission will appoint a Special Envoy to support this process at political level. for experts, the Solidarity Platform will serve as a coordination forum.

The counterpart for the Unity Hubs in Ukraine will be the National Unity Agency as the key implementing body of the Ministry of National Unity of Ukraine. The Agency will support the establishment of Unity Hubs in the EU and facilitate broader initiatives to strengthen national cohesion, advance cultural and civic ties with the Ukrainian community, and support voluntary return and reintegration efforts.

EU technical assistance projects in Ukraine will also support the work on the Ukrainian side to facilitate the reintegration of people returning home. Projects such as the Skills4Recovery and EU4Business, and others, can support the Ministry of National Unity, helping people returning to Ukraine to establish businesses, receive tailored employment services and participate in Vocational Education and Training programmes.

What will be the role of the Special Envoy for Ukrainians in the EU?

The Special Envoy will work with Member States, international organisations and with Ukraine to implement the EU’s coordinated approach to temporary protection and the transition out of it. The envoy will support the goal of helping Ukrainians make informed choices about their future, including by supporting the setting-up of Unity Hubs.

What will the proposed exploratory visits to Ukraine look like?

The proposed Recommendation includes the possibility of exploratory visits. People considering going back home to Ukraine should be able to make informed decisions, which would also support the sustainability of their return.

For a smooth transition out of temporary protection, Member States should set up a more structured approach to promote self-funded exploratory visits. The visits would allow to check on family or property, to assess the level of destruction in the communities, and in general, the overall conditions in the home country.

To increase the effectiveness of these visits and to prevent abuses, Member States should set up the parameters, conditions and requirements for such visits (frequency, duration, notification process). Any such requirements should be transparently communicated, for example via contact points.

What will the voluntary return programmes entail?

In order to prepare for the time when temporary protection comes to an end, the Commission is recommending that Member States already now start setting up voluntary return programmes to establish a process of for a gradual and orderly return home. Coordination with the Ukrainian authorities will be key when designing such programmes, particularly to take into account the absorption capacity of Ukraine that is in need of reconstruction. To support social cohesion, these programmes would support reintegration in communities in Ukraine. Union funding will be made available to help Ukraine with this reintegration.

While such voluntary return programmes should be of limited duration, they should give enough time for coordination with the Ukrainian authorities. The aim is to facilitate the gradual and adequate integration of persons returning in their communities, including access to basic services and facilities, such as accommodation, housing or medical care. For this reason, and to ensure the first duration of the voluntary return programme is coordinated with all Member States, voluntary return programmes should provide for a period of departure possibly up to one year. During this period, persons should be allowed to continue legally residing in the Member State.

The Commission is also recommending that Member States make use of the flexibilities provided for under the Temporary Protection Directive to support the gradual return of vulnerable people and families with children. This would entail, for example, allowing vulnerable people to remain longer in the EU until Ukraine can cater for their needs, or allowing families with children to stay until a child finishes its school year.

How much funding are Member States receiving as support for the integration of displaced people from Ukraine?

Since the start of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, funding linked to the Temporary Protection Directive was allocated from existing EU funding instruments. More specifically, under the periods 2014-2020 and 2021-2027, these were granted from Home affairs funds and Cohesion Policy funds.

Around €15 billion have already been allocated to Member States accommodating people from Ukraine. Cohesion policy has provided €13.6 billion for Member States accommodating people from Ukraine and another €1.4 billion has been reallocated within existing funding programmes to provide direct support to displaced people from Ukraine.

Additional allocations of up to €4 billion are being made available from the Home affairs funds. More specifically, in the 2025-2027 funding period – a further €3 billion from the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF) and the Border Management and Visa Instrument (BMVI), as well as around €1 billion from the mid-term revision of Member States’ AMIF programmes. The total amounts are aimed both at supporting Member States in implementing the Pact on Migration and Asylum and, as regards AMIF, at catering for persons enjoying temporary protection.

How is the Commission ensuring coordinated support to displaced persons from Ukraine with Member States?

The Commission will continue to work closely with Member States to coordinate both the implementation of temporary protection and support Ukrainians who want to go back home and rebuild their country. The Ukraine – Solidarity Platform will also serve as a coordination forum at expert level. Through this Platform, the Commission will also facilitate information exchange and the coordination of support measures, keeping an overview of the assistance provided across Member States. It will aim to streamline efforts amongst stakeholders and raise awareness of the importance of helping the local communities in Ukraine to be ready for returns.

The Commission will continue to gather technical and policy expertise also for the Unity Hubs, as well as encouraging corresponding measures from the Ukrainian authorities.

More Information

• Press release
• Factsheet

Good afternoon.

I am very happy to be joined today by Deputy Prime Minister Chernyshov. Thank you Oleksiy for making the journey and for your work to support Ukrainians outside Ukraine, together with the EU.

It has been over three years since Russia launched its war against the Ukrainian people. At the time, we vowed to stand with them for as long as it takes.

That commitment is just as valid today as it was then.

Temporary protection was part of our commitment to Ukraine – an unprecedented measure to show solidarity with the millions of people uprooted by Russia’s illegal aggression.

Today’s set of proposals is another testament to that commitment.

The current rules on Temporary Protection are set to expire in March 2026.

Therefore, in close coordination with the Member States and with the Ukrainian authorities, we are proposing to extend temporary protection further, until 4 March 2027.

This provides: legal certainty for EU Member States; reassurance to Ukrainians that they do not need to apply for asylum; and avoids risks of overburdening national asylum systems.

We are supporting this extension with funding to the Member States hosting displaced people.

A further €4 billion in Home affairs funds on top of the €15 billion in Cohesion funds already unlocked for this purpose.

After all, hosting 4.3 million people creates challenges, and some Member States have been under particular pressure.

Of course, temporary protection is designed to be temporary – it is in the name.

This is why, as part of today’s proposals, we are also putting in place an exit strategy and preparing for displaced people to return to Ukraine, once they are able to, or when temporary protection ends.

This reflects our dialogue with the Member States, with Ukrainian authorities, and with Ukrainians here in the EU.

It is clear that the future of Ukraine depends on getting its people back.

The situation in Ukraine is still volatile, so we need to be flexible.

If a ceasefire is agreed and sustained – something we all continue to hope for, we will need to adapt, there is always the possibility to end temporary protection before 4 March 2027.

In all cases, we are encouraging Member States to start now to help people transition to a national status that better reflects their circumstances.

For example, if they are working, they could be switched to a work visa, or if they are studying, to a student visa .

It is also important to support Ukrainians in their choices.

Ukraine is facing labour market shortages. There are some who are already willing and able to return, and we should support this.

We are asking Member States to help those considering return by supporting exploratory trips, so-called ‘go-and-see’ visits.

When the time comes to end temporary protection, we also have to be mindful of Ukraine’s absorption capacity.

We are therefore asking Member States to put in place voluntary return programmes to allow a staggered and organised return to Ukraine.

That could be over a period of a year after temporary protection ends.

And we are urging Member States to make use of the flexibilities under the rules to make exceptions for vulnerable cases, until their needs can be met in Ukraine, and for families with children in school, to allow them to finish out their school year without disruption.

There will still be a lot of uncertainty for people returning home will look like – from everything to jobs, to housing, to schools.

I will give the floor now to Oleksiy to explain the concept he has put forward to support Ukrainians in their choices: Unity Hubs.

The EU fully supports this initiative, in concrete ways: through the funding I mentioned before.

In addition, I will appoint a Special Envoy for Ukrainians in the EU to work with Member States, with Ukraine and with international organisations to support Unity Hubs.

And the EU’s Solidarity Platform on Ukraine will serve as an operational link at technical level

Thank you. Oleksiy, please – the floor is yours.

Source – EU Commission