The EU may limit temporary protection for Ukrainian men of conscription age

EU capitals are considering the possibility of not extending the planned expansion of the temporary protection scheme to Ukrainian men of mobilization age. This was 1 June 2026 reported by the publication Euractiv, citing an internal document of the Council of the EU.

This concerns the EU Temporary Protection Directive, which after Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022 allowed Ukrainians to live and work in European Union countries without undergoing the regular asylum procedures. The scheme is currently in effect until March 2027.

According to the publication, among the options being discussed in the EU is an extension of temporary protection but with a narrower scope of application. In particular, the document mentions the possibility of excluding “men of conscription age” or people who left Ukraine irregularly. Importantly, Euractiv reports that such possible restrictions would apply specifically to new applicants who in the future seek to obtain temporary protection status in the European Union.

Some national governments in the EU say that an increasing share of recent arrivals from Ukraine – are men of conscription age. Some capitals believe the rules need to be revised “also in the interest of Ukraine” – to support its resistance to Russian aggression and the country’s future reconstruction.

Ukraine is already facing personnel shortages and recruitment problems for the armed forces, as the full-scale war with Russia has now entered its fifth year. In 2024 Ukraine lowered the mobilization age from 27 to 25 years, and also introduced additional measures to improve military registration and the mobilization system.

At the same time, last year the European Commission urged member states to prepare for the gradual winding down of the current temporary protection scheme. In 2024 recommendations were adopted on a “coordinated transition” of Ukrainians to a more stable legal status, but this process is progressing unevenly across different countries. The future of the scheme is to be discussed by migration ministers at a meeting of the Council on Justice and Home Affairs. They are expected to set out political recommendations on the next steps. Any extension or change to the temporary protection rules must be proposed by the European Commission.

Earlier we wrote:

• Nearly one million conscription-age men from Ukraine in the EU
• Freedom for some, duty for others: Zelensky outlined a new division of Ukrainians
• Men are fleeing en masse to Europe: in September the number of Ukrainians in the EU rose by 50%
• Nearly 5 million Ukrainians fled the war to the EU – there are plans to scale back refugee protection
• The EU extended protection for Ukrainians until 2027: what will happen after that term