EU Considers Excluding Ukrainian Conscription-Age Men from Temporary Protection Scheme Until March 2027
The EU is considering excluding Ukrainian conscription-age men from its temporary protection scheme, valid until March 2027. This is being discussed due to their increasing proportion among new arrivals. Ministers will address the issue this week, with the European Commission initiating any changes.
The European Union is considering excluding Ukrainian men of conscription age from its extended temporary protection scheme, which is currently valid until March 2027. This proposal emerged during discussions on the future extension of the EU's Temporary Protection Directive (TPD), which allows Ukrainians to live and work across Europe without applying to national asylum systems.
According to Euractiv, the option being discussed is to extend temporary protection while narrowing its scope by excluding conscription-age men or individuals who left Ukraine illegally. Any such restrictions would apply to new applicants for temporary protection. Some national governments have expressed concern over the increasing proportion of conscription-age men among recent arrivals, arguing that the system should be revised «also in Ukraine's interest» to support the country's resistance and future reconstruction.
Migration ministers will discuss this issue at a Justice and Home Affairs Council meeting this week. Any changes to the Directive must be initiated by the European Commission, which has not yet announced whether it will officially propose another extension of the scheme. As of March 2026, 4.33 million Ukrainians held temporary protection status in the EU, with the largest numbers in Germany (1.27 million), Poland (961,405), and Czechia (379,820). Individual countries, such as Denmark and Norway, are already considering or have implemented stricter rules for conscription-age men.