- WIADOMOŚCI
The European Union limits protection for Ukrainian conscripts
EU member states have decided to extend temporary protection for Ukrainians for another year. Simultaneously, it was decided to exclude newly arriving military-age Ukrainians from this protection.
The temporary protection for Ukrainians within European Union territory has been extended until March 4, 2028. For now, a preliminary agreement has been reached by Ambassadors of the member states. The decision will have to be approved by the national capitals, which should occur in the coming weeks. The regulation will then be published in the Official Journal of the EU and will enter into force the following day.
Attention should be drawn to Article 2 of the Decision, which states that temporary protection “is not granted to persons who do not fulfill their military obligations provided for under Ukrainian law and, for this reason, have not obtained permission from the Ukrainian authorities to leave Ukraine.” The article does not apply to individuals who are already utilising temporary protection on the day the new provision enters into force.
In Ukraine, military service covers men aged 23 to 60. The restriction of EU protection toward Ukrainian conscripts was proposed earlier in June by the European Commission, which cited requests from the authorities in Kyiv. The ongoing war requires a constant influx of manpower, and many military-age Ukrainians are attempting to reach European Union territory.
The mechanism guarantees the right to legal residency, work, and education in all member states. Approximately 4.4 million Ukrainians currently benefit from temporary protection in the Union. According to Eurostat, the largest percentage consists of women aged 35-64 (23 percent). Men in the same age category account for 12 percent. A similar percentage (13 percent) consists of men aged 18-34.
