EU Ministers Discuss Cutting Temporary Protection for Ukrainian Men 23‑60

EU interior ministers meeting in Luxembourg on 4 June broadly supported a proposal to end the automatic granting of temporary protection to Ukrainian men of conscription age (23‑60) under the EU Temporary Protection Directive, which is set to expire in March 2027.

The measure would apply only to new arrivals; people already covered would retain their status. Implementation could rely on an exit‑stamp system to verify whether a man left Ukraine legally. Austria’s interior minister Gerhard Karner and Germany’s interior minister Alexander Dobrindt voiced support, while Sweden’s migration minister Johan Forssell said, “It is essential for us to provide Ukrainians with protection, but at the same time the war needs to be fought and won. For that to happen, it is essential that more men stay in Ukraine and fight.” Karner added that “Ukraine needs its own male citizens to defend the country.”

The directive currently protects about 4.33 million Ukrainians, with Germany hosting roughly 29 % of them. The European Commission must draft the amendment before EU governments can vote on the change.