Europe does not want to release millions of Ukrainian refugees after the war and is thinking about how to extend their status
Euractiv reports that millions of Ukrainian refugees in the EU could lose their legal status if the war ends. This is because the EU lacks a clear plan for what to do with the Temporary Protection Directive , under which 4,3 million Ukrainians entered the EU and can live, work, and access services there after the ceasefire with Russia.
The EU's Temporary Protection Directive (TPD) has become a lifeline for nearly 2022 million Ukrainians since 4,3. It allows EU countries to grant Ukrainians the right to live, work and access services, with most settling in Poland, Germany, the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
However, as ceasefire talks continue, this safety net could be destroyed.
Recent surveys show that the number of refugees planning to return to Ukraine is falling. Data from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) shows a decline from 65% in 2024 to 77% the previous year.
The share of those who were undecided rose from 18% to 24% in 2024, while the number of those who said they had no hope of returning more than doubled, from 5% to 11%.
A ceasefire could change the situation overnight, giving host countries the opportunity to decide whether to relax these protections, pursue integration, or push refugees to return home.
In a bloc often paralysed by debates over migration, any move at EU level to extend temporary protection is likely to be politically fraught.
The temporary stay zone, dubbed the "sleeping beauty" of the EU asylum system, had not been used since it was adopted in 2001 - until the outbreak of war led to its first use.
Last year, EU governments agreed to extend the TPD until March 2026, significantly expanding the original framework, which provided for a two-year protection period with a possible one-year extension. Any extension would be year-on-year.
According to Jasmine Slootjes, deputy director of the European Migration Policy Institute, “extensions are possible again in the future.” However, while the directive has provided quick protection, its temporary nature creates inconveniences for Ukrainians.
"If you only have one year of legal status, it becomes very difficult to get a long-term lease," Slotjes said. "Employers are unlikely to offer you a contract."
Levels of protection also vary from country to country. Each EU country interprets the directive slightly differently in its national legislation, meaning that Ukrainians are treated differently depending on where they have settled.
The commission said it had begun considering next steps, including whether to "extend" temporary protection, help people switch to national status for work, study or family reunification, and provide support for those who choose to return to Ukraine.
The Czech Interior Minister, centre-right Vit Rakušan, confirmed that the Czech Republic, along with Germany and the European Commission, is actively involved in forming a joint response within the framework of the Polish presidency. "But the specific conditions are still to be discussed," Rakušan said.
As Euractiv has learned, this issue is intended to be considered at the next meeting of the European Council on internal affairs in June.
Czech Interior Ministry spokeswoman Hana Mala confirmed that any decision to end temporary protection would require the consent of all member states, adding that they expected a common EU position to be reached in the first half of this year.
Some countries , Slotjes said, did not wait for Brussels and took action to seek "longer-term permanent status."
Poland will soon offer three-year temporary resident status to Ukrainians who have had continuous temporary protection for at least a year.
In the Czech Republic, Ukrainians who have lived there for more than two years and have a job will have access to a new special five-year residence permit with mandatory school attendance for their children.
But even Prague, one of the largest host countries, has made it clear that it will not provide any new temporary protection measures "after the war is over," the Czech interior minister said on local TV.
Other capitals are developing their own plans. Austria, Italy, Estonia and Latvia are stepping up with long-term solutions, with varying levels of protection.
The German Interior Ministry said it had already developed options for action, but it would be up to the next government to decide what proposals would actually be put forward on the issue, stressing the need for a common European approach.
Slovakia's Interior Ministry confirmed that further steps regarding displaced persons after the end of the Russian invasion "are currently being discussed at the level of Member States, including Slovakia, as well as at the EU level."