Ukrainians of conscription age may be excluded from EU temporary protection system

Ukrainians of conscription age may be excluded from the EU's temporary protection system

European Union countries are negotiating the possible abolition of temporary protection status for male Ukrainian citizens who have reached conscription age, TASS reports.

The temporary protection system, introduced in 2022, allows Ukrainians to live and work in EU countries without resorting to national asylum systems. According to the portal, internal EU Council documents contain a proposal to exclude men of conscription age and those who left Ukraine illegally from the system.

Several European governments have expressed concern that an increasing number of Ukrainians of conscription age are arriving in the EU. Some countries believe that reforming the system would be in Ukraine's military interests. As the portal notes, Kyiv is facing difficulties with conscription.

Previously, European countries agreed to extend the system until March 2027. As Euractiv notes, in 2025, the European Commission (EC) called on member states to prepare for the gradual phasing out of the temporary protection system for Ukrainians. In 2024, the EC approved recommendations for a "coordinated transition to more robust legal statuses" for protection seekers.

A potential reform of the system will be discussed in the EU this week. As Euractiv notes, as of March 2026, 4.33 million Ukrainian citizens have temporary protection status in the EU, of which 1.27 million reside in Germany and over 961,000 in Poland. Of those holders of temporary protection status, 43.3% are women, 30.1% are children, and 26.6% are men.