Denmark Ends Temporary Protection for Ukrainian Men of Conscription Age

Denmark announced it will no longer grant temporary protection to Ukrainian male refugees aged roughly 22‑60 years. Immigration Minister Morten Bedskov said, “Denmark firmly supports Ukraine in its fight for freedom… we are changing the special Ukrainian law because we do not want our legalization rules to be used to avoid mobilisation.” The policy excludes about 47,600 Ukrainian refugees already in Denmark and those officially discharged from military service.

Human‑rights officials criticised the move, with Council of Europe commissioner Michael O’Flaherty calling it “an example of a wider trend limiting protection for the 4.3 million Ukrainians displaced across Europe.” While EU rules on temporary protection apply uniformly, Denmark – which joined the bloc under special conditions – is exercising its own discretion.

The decision aims to prevent draft‑evasion by men who could otherwise leave Ukraine without a justified reason, according to Ukrainian law, and marks the first EU member state to impose such a restriction.