(Brussels) The European Union on Tuesday once again extended the temporary protection granted to some 4.2 million Ukrainian refugees until March 4, 2026.
Since March 2022, Ukrainians fleeing the war started by Russia have benefited from a status allowing them to stay, work and access aid in the EU.
“Day after day, Russia terrorizes the Ukrainian people with its bombings […] Those who fled Russian aggression can continue to count on our solidarity”, underlined the Belgian Secretary of State for Asylum and Migration, Nicole de Moor, whose country holds the six-monthly presidency of the Council of the EU.
The Temporary Protection Directive was activated by the EU on 4 March 2022, one week after the start of the invasion of Ukraine. This 2001 directive had never been used before.
The EU countries hosting the most Ukrainian refugees are Germany (nearly 1.2 million), Poland (over 950,000) and the Czech Republic (over 350,000).
Adult women represent almost half of the beneficiaries of this protection, and children around a third, according to Eurostat.
