|Published on: 2nd July 2026|Categories: News|
On 26 June, the European Commission (EC) published a proposal for another extension of the Temporary Protection Directive (TPD) for people fleeing from Ukraine. If it is approved by the Council of the EU, the TPD, which was first activated in March 2022 and is currently applicable until March 2027, would be extended for a sixth year until March 2028.
Following a request by several EU member states (MS), the EC proposal introduces an exception from temporary protection of newly arriving men who have military obligations under Ukrainian law and who are not authorised by Ukrainian authorities to leave the country. According to the proposal, this restriction would take effect immediately after the TPD extension is approved whereas the rest of the Council decision would not be applicable until March 2027. Despite this apparent urgency, when the issue was discussed in the June meeting of the EU Justice and Home Affairs Council, France reportedly expressed opposition to the plan to narrow the eligibility for temporary protection. More recently, Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar has also stated his opposition it.
Elsewhere, European countries that are not bound by the TPD are also considering the future of their own protection schemes for people fleeing from Ukraine. On 19 June, the Swiss government launched a consultation on the extension of ‘Protection Status S’, including option of restricting eligibility, while, the Danish government published a similar proposal on 25 June.
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