Europe is preparing for a new decision regarding Ukrainian refugees: what to expect in June
The question of the future stay of Ukrainians who were forced to leave for the EU countries due to a full-scale war remains one of the most urgent for millions of people. And although the effect of temporary protection has been formally extended until March 2026, there is already a discussion in Brussels about its future. Ukrainian citizens are waiting for clarity: whether all rights will remain valid, whether new conditions will be introduced, and whether the process of gradual withdrawal of support will begin.
During the joint press conference with the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyi in Prague, Prime Minister of the Czech Republic Petr Fiala said that the European Union can announce a consolidated position already in June. He emphasized: the Czech Republic accepted the most Ukrainians in terms of its own population, and now more than 160,000 of them are officially working. Precisely because of the scope of the Czech Republic’s participation in the protection of Ukrainian citizens, Prague advocates early decision-making:
“We cannot wait until the last minute. In June, the meeting of the Council of Ministers of Internal Affairs will be held, and I hope that the European position will be determined and a solution will be proposed.” Fiala noted.
He also clarified that further steps will depend on the development of the current situation, bearing in mind both the security context in Ukraine and intra-European political factors.
After the invasion of Russia in February 2022, EU countries activated the mechanism of Directive 2001/55/EC — the so-called Temporary Protection Directive — for the first time in history. It allows providing collective protection to citizens of a country that has experienced armed aggression, without going through asylum procedures individually.
On the basis of this directive, Ukrainians were guaranteed the right to live in EU countries, access to medical and social services, education for children, as well as the right to work legally. After several technical extensions, this mode currently runs until March 4, 2026.
At the same time, part of Ukrainian citizens, in particular those who could not issue documents on time or left as part of secondary migration from one country to another, faced problems of legalization of status. That is why a possible new decision of the Council of Ministers of Internal Affairs of the EU can significantly affect the conditions of stay, adaptation and access to assistance for hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians.
As of the end of November 2024, according to Eurostat, more than 4.2 million Ukrainian citizens had valid temporary protection status in the countries of the European Union. The largest number of such persons is registered in Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic.
The expected June meeting can answer not only the question of what will happen after 2026, but also whether Ukrainians will keep all the current guarantees. For many, this will have a decisive influence on the decision whether to return or stay, to adapt more deeply in a new environment or to prepare to return home. In June, it will become clearer which of these vectors Europe will support.
