The EU has extended its temporary protection for Ukrainians until March 2025
Currently, 4.1 million Ukrainians are registered for temporary protection in EU countries, according to Eurostat. The EU Council website reports that Ukrainians who are escaping the war will continue to receive temporary protection until March 4, 2025.
The EU activated the temporary protection directive on March 4, 2022: it is aimed at helping Ukrainians who fled the country after the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion.
In particular, Ukrainian citizens who have registered for temporary protection in EU countries have residency rights, access to the labor market, as well as social welfare and medical assistance. For unaccompanied Ukrainian children and teenagers, there are legal guardianship and access to education.
Apart from 4.1 mln Ukrainians registered for temporary protection in the EU, there are almost 5 million internally displaced persons in Ukraine due to Russia’s full-scale invasion. According to Iryna Vereshchuk, Minister for Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories of Ukraine, about 4,965,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) were registered in Ukraine as of September 1, 2023, with 300,000 persons added since September 2022.
In October 2023, the event “The Right to Dignity in Temporary Accommodation: Current Challenges and the Future” was held in Kyiv. It focuses on the challenges of meeting the needs of people who have been displaced from their homes and are now living temporarily in a new location.
During the event, a roadmap was introduced to improve living conditions in locations for IDPs. This includes monitoring the places of residence, approving a list of such places by region, and providing the necessary living conditions.
“As the Government, we listen to what the regions need, and the regions work together in an organized and understandable way. Winter is approaching, so it’s crucial to have high-level coordination to fulfill all the needs of our people [internally displaced persons – ed.]. I’m confident that we’ll successfully manage,” emphasized Vice Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk.