On June 25, 2024, the EU Council adopted a decision to extend the temporary protection until March 4, 2026 for the more than 4 million Ukrainians fleeing from Russia’s war of aggression.
The temporary protection mechanism was triggered on March 4, 2022 and was due to run until March 4, 2025. The extension decision that was adopted today does not change the decision of March 2022 in terms of the categories of persons to whom the temporary protection applies.
More Information About Temporary Protection
Temporary protection provides immediate and collective protection to a large group of displaced persons who arrive in the EU and who are not in a position to return to their country of origin.
The system alleviates the pressure on national asylum systems because applications do not have to be examined individually. People benefitting from temporary protection enjoy the same rights across the EU. These rights include:
- residence
- access to the labour market and housing
- medical assistance
- social welfare assistance
- access to education for children
The EU’s temporary protection law sets minimum standards of protection. The actual level of assistance can vary from one member state to another.
Erickson Insights & Analysis
According to their national procedures member states may have to adopt additional implementation acts to formalize the extension. Erickson Immigration Group will continue to monitor developments and share updates as more news is available. Please contact your employer or EIG attorney if you have questions about anything we’re reporting above or case-specific questions.