The European Union is considering the possibility of introducing new restrictions on providing temporary protection to Ukrainian men of conscription age. The main condition for obtaining such status from 2028 is planned to be compliance with Ukrainian legislation on leaving the country.
This is reported by Kyiv24
New criteria for temporary protection
According to diplomats, the idea is that from March 2028, temporary protection in the EU will not be available to citizens whom Ukrainian legislation prohibits from leaving the country. Thus, the decision regarding permission to leave or its prohibition will be determined by Ukraine itself. For example, if Ukraine restricts the departure of men aged 23 to 60, these same restrictions may form the basis for rules in EU countries. At the same time, exceptions enshrined in Ukrainian legislation will also be taken into account.
“In other words, the burden of decision-making rests with Ukraine,” said a source from Radio Liberty.
Yulia Zelvenska, an expert in migration law, notes that this approach is legally justified and allows for restrictions not only on men but on anyone who has violated border crossing rules or did not have the right to leave. According to her, it is important to distinguish between individuals who had the right to temporary departure but remained outside Ukraine longer than permitted.
Discussion and challenges for implementation
As of June 2026, the European Commission has not yet presented an official proposal for changes. Currently, discussions primarily concern newcomers, rather than those Ukrainian citizens who have already received temporary protection status in the EU. Diplomats and officials acknowledge that the practical implementation of the mechanism may be complex, as member states will need to verify whether the applicant had the right to leave Ukraine and determine exceptions for vulnerable categories of citizens.
Due to the complexity of the mechanism, reaching a final agreement before the summer holidays in the EU may be challenging. The idea of dividing Ukraine into “safe regions” was previously discussed but has been abandoned. Currently, two scenarios are being considered: either to maintain the existing temporary protection mechanism or to extend it with restrictions for specific categories of new applicants.
The directive on temporary protection was introduced after Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022 and is valid until March 2027.