The European Commission Wants to Revoke Protections for Ukrainian Men of Draft Age in the EU: What We Know
26 June 13:15
The European Commission has proposed excluding Ukrainian men of draft age from the group of people who automatically receive temporary protection in EU countries. This measure is necessary to ensure Ukraine’s defense capability, according to "Komersant Ukrainian", citing DW.
Men aged 23–60 may be excluded from the simplified procedure
The European Commission’s statement indicates that temporary protection should not be automatically granted to all new arrivals from Ukraine if they “have not received permission from the Ukrainian authorities” to leave the country. This applies to men aged 23 to 60.
Brussels emphasized that this is in response to a request from the Ukrainian authorities, who, as before, need a large number of military personnel to defend the country.
Earlier that same day, during a visit to Kyiv, German Justice Minister Stefanie Hubig supported the idea of not granting protection to men of conscription age and stressed the importance for Ukraine of maintaining its defense capabilities.
The temporary protection regime will be extended
Since the start of Russia’s full-scale aggression, Ukraine has imposed a ban on men of draft age leaving the country, with certain exceptions. Refugees from Ukraine receive temporary protection in the European Union under special rules within the framework of the Temporary Protection Directive—their applications are not considered on a case-by-case basis.
The European Commission plans to extend the temporary protection regime itself for another year, until March 2028, but men of conscription age will be excluded from it. Consequently, in the future, they will have to apply for asylum, which will significantly reduce their chances of receiving protection.
