EU Extends Ukraine Refugee Protection Scheme Until March 2025

Decision to Postpone the Expiration Deadline of the "Temporary Protection Order" System by One Year

The European Union (EU) has decided to extend the Ukrainian refugee protection system, which was implemented immediately after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, for one more year.

Ukrainian refugees are easing their hunger with soup distributed in front of the Polish border station.
[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

According to the U.S. political news outlet Politico on the 29th (local time), EU interior ministers announced the day before that the expiration date of the "Temporary Protection Directive" for Ukrainian refugees will be extended from March 2024 to March 2025.

The Temporary Protection Directive allows Ukrainian refugees to have residency rights and access to the labor market within the EU, as well as to enjoy social welfare policies such as housing and medical support. The EU interior ministers implemented this system in early March last year, shortly after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, to provide effective support to Ukrainian refugees without the need for individual screening.

According to Ilva Johansson, EU Commissioner for Home Affairs, about 4 million Ukrainians have benefited from this system since the outbreak of the war. Among them, approximately 750,000 have already entered the European labor market, and about 300,000 are seeking jobs with the help of employment support policies.

Fernando Grande-Marlaska, Spain's Minister of the Interior, said, "The EU will continue to provide support to the Ukrainian people as long as necessary," adding, "The extension of the system provides certainty to the 4 million refugees who have found shelter in the EU." He also expressed hope that "this system will no longer be needed and that everyone can return to their homeland."