More than 220,000 Ukrainians have been granted protection in Romania
In Romania, more than 220,000 Ukrainian citizens are registered as recipients of temporary protection. In total, more than 223,000 people have been granted this status since the start of the full-scale war in the country. Nearly half of the asylum applications filed in Romania this year were also submitted by Ukrainians.
As of August 31, 2026, 223,808 beneficiaries of temporary protection were registered in Romania. The vast majority of them are Ukrainian citizens. According to the agency, 220,881 of all people with temporary protection in the country are citizens of Ukraine. This represents 98.7% of the total number of registered recipients of this status. The IGI noted:
“Of these, 220,881 are Ukrainian citizens, accounting for 98.7% of the total number of registered recipients of temporary protection.”
For Ukrainians under temporary protection, Romanian authorities issued or extended residence permits. This allows people to legally remain in the country and exercise the rights provided by law.
How Many Ukrainians Have Sought Asylum
Separately, Romania released data on asylum applications. In the first eight months of 2026, 935 such applications were filed in the country. Of these, 466 applications came from Ukrainian citizens. In other words, nearly half of all asylum applications in Romania during this period were filed by Ukrainians. At the same time, temporary protection and refugee status are different procedures. Temporary protection allows Ukrainians to stay in the country legally without having to go through the full asylum process.
Romania became one of the EU countries that took in a large number of Ukrainians after the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion. People fled there due to hostilities, the threat of shelling, and the occupation of their communities. New data from the IGI shows that even several years after the start of the major war, a significant number of Ukrainians remain in Romania under temporary protection. According to official data, Ukrainians constitute the absolute majority of all recipients of this status in the country. This was reported by Romania’s General Inspectorate for Immigration (IGI), as reported by EcoPolitic.
