The European Union has extended emergency rules until at least March 4, 2026 to accommodate people fleeing war in Ukraine.
“Day after day, Russia terrorizes the Ukrainian people with its bombings,” Belgian State Secretary for Asylum and Migration Nicole de Moor, who chaired talks to extend the rules, said in a statement.
“Those who fled Russian aggression can continue to count on our solidarity,” she said.
Ukrainians who fled to the European Union after Russia’s large-scale invasion of their country in 2022 were given immediate protection after EU member states set up a temporary regime designed for cases of mass influx of people. The existing regime would end in March 2025.
The proposal aims to avoid the lengthy national asylum procedures required to process large numbers of displaced persons. Extensions of the temporary rules are possible for a maximum of one year.
In addition, people who receive temporary protection are entitled to social services, housing, access to education and work permits, among other things.
The European Commission reported that almost 4.2 million Ukrainians currently reside in the EU under these rules, with Germany hosting the most people at 1.2 million.