The European Commission has proposed extending the European Union‘s Temporary Protection Directive for people fleeing Russia’s war against Ukraine by another year, until 4 March 2028, while introducing new restrictions for certain newly arriving Ukrainian nationals.
Under the draft decision unveiled on 26 June 2026, temporary protection would generally no longer be granted to newly arriving Ukrainian men who are subject to Ukraine’s military mobilisation rules and are not authorised by the Ukrainian authorities to leave the country. The proposal must still be approved by the Council of the European Union before it takes effect.
The change would apply only to new applicants and would not affect the more than 4.3 million Ukrainians already benefiting from temporary protection across the European Union. Existing beneficiaries will retain their rights to live, work, access healthcare, education and social services.
Czechia, which hosts the highest number of Ukrainian refugees per capita in the EU, immediately welcomed the proposal. Interior Ministry spokesperson Hana Malá said Prague had advocated for months, together with several other member states, to limit access to temporary protection for military-age men leaving Ukraine.
Once the Council formally adopts the Commission’s proposal, Czech authorities will be able to refuse temporary protection applications from men liable for military service without changing domestic legislation.
The proposal represents the first significant narrowing of eligibility under the Temporary Protection Directive since it was activated in March 2022. Employers recruiting Ukrainian nationals may increasingly need to rely on alternative immigration pathways, including national work permit schemes or highly skilled worker programmes, for future male hires who no longer qualify for temporary protection.
Separately, Denmark has announced that it will no longer grant temporary protection to Ukrainian men aged 23 to 60 who are subject to Ukraine’s mobilisation rules unless they can document that they are exempt from military service. The change will not affect Ukrainians who have already received protection in Denmark.
