Ukraine calls on the EU to lift protections for men of draft age

The Ukrainian government has appealed to the European Union with a proposal to exclude men aged 23 to 60 from the temporary protection mechanism. This refers to Ukrainian citizens of draft age who are currently in EU countries. It is currently unknown whether EU member states will support this initiative and how it might affect men who have already been granted this protection status.

The European Commissioner’s Position

All EU member states support extending the Temporary Protection Directive (TPD) for Ukrainians until March 2028. However, “many countries” are advocating for changes to the conditions under which this protection is granted.

This was stated on June 4 by the Deputy Minister for Migration of Cyprus—the presiding country—Nicholas Ioannides, following a meeting of the EU Council on Justice and Home Affairs.

“I believe this will allow us to reach an agreement for the benefit of the Ukrainian people, and at the same time, it is a decision that will prevent pressure on member states that are hosting Ukrainians,” he said.

Exclusion of men: who requested it

Among the changes under discussion is the exclusion of men of military age, from 23 to 60, from the scope of the Temporary Protection Directive. This was announced by European Commissioner for Home Affairs and Migration Magnus Brunner.

"This is also what Ukrainians are asking us to do," he said.

According to Brunner, during the discussion, special attention was paid to the positions of the countries that have accepted the most Ukrainians: the Czech Republic, the Baltic states, Poland, Germany, and Austria.

However, it should be noted that earlier discussions focused on excluding men of military age—not all those currently in Europe, but only those who apply for temporary protection.

What’s next

The European Commission will present a proposal on the future of temporary protection for Ukrainians “in the coming weeks,” Brunner promised. After that, it must be approved by EU member states by a qualified majority.

No final decision has been made yet—the meeting in Luxembourg served as a forum for exchanging views, not for making decisions.

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