The Council of the European Union is expected to reach a political agreement on 13th June 2025 to prolong the temporary protection mechanism for Ukrainians residing in the EU, with the extension proposed until March 2027.
The move comes in response to the continued impact of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine and the resulting large-scale displacement of civilians.
The decision will be discussed during the meeting of the Justice and Home Affairs Council, where ministers from EU Member States are expected to back the extension as a political measure. While the formal adoption of the legal act will follow in the coming weeks, officials involved in the preparation of the agenda indicate that consensus among Member States has already been reached in principle.
Temporary protection for Ukrainians was initially activated on 4 March 2022 under the Temporary Protection Directive (2001/55/EC), which allows the EU to provide immediate and collective protection to displaced persons in the event of a mass influx. The mechanism grants beneficiaries residence rights, access to the labour market, healthcare, and education without requiring individual asylum applications.
The protection status has already been extended once, currently running until March 2026. The new proposal, if confirmed, would add an additional year, bringing the total duration to five years, which is the maximum period allowed under the Directive without further legislative amendment.
In parallel, ministers are expected to begin discussions on transitioning beneficiaries of temporary protection to alternative legal statuses, particularly for those who have integrated into host countries through employment or education. According to a recent statement by the European Commission, the executive is preparing recommendations for Member States to support such transitions, including residency pathways and integration mechanisms.
The continuation of temporary protection has broad political support across the bloc, largely due to the scale of the displacement caused by Russia’s invasion and the clear need to ensure legal certainty for millions of Ukrainians currently living in the EU. As of mid-2025, Eurostat estimates place the number of Ukrainians under temporary protection in the EU at over four million, with the largest populations residing in Germany, Poland, the Czech Republic, and Spain.
The European Commission has emphasised that while temporary protection remains a viable short-to-medium-term solution, there is a growing need to provide stability and legal clarity for those who are unlikely to return to Ukraine in the near future. Many displaced persons have entered employment, enrolled in schools and universities, or established long-term residence arrangements in host countries.
The Council meeting on 13 June is also expected to touch upon the operational implications for Member States, including funding needs, administrative capacity, and coordination between national and local authorities. EU institutions have so far mobilised several financial instruments to support Member States in the management of displaced persons, including resources from the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF) and the Cohesion’s Action for Refugees in Europe (CARE) initiative.
While the decision to extend the protection status to 2027 is viewed as a pragmatic response to the ongoing war in Ukraine, it is also expected to be accompanied by a broader policy review on EU asylum and migration instruments. Discussions are likely to address how the Temporary Protection Directive fits into the emerging European Pact on Migration and Asylum, which seeks to modernise the EU’s overall framework for migration governance.
The Justice and Home Affairs Council on 13 June will also provide an opportunity for ministers to assess the longer-term needs of displaced Ukrainians, including mental health services, housing, access to language courses, and recognition of qualifications.
In a statement earlier this year, the European Commission reiterated its commitment to “standing in solidarity with Ukraine and the Ukrainian people for as long as necessary,” and called on Member States to maintain support for displaced persons while exploring legal transitions to more permanent residence statuses where appropriate.
Although the extension to March 2027 is expected to be formalised without significant opposition, its implementation will require sustained cooperation between EU institutions and national authorities, particularly in ensuring a smooth shift towards integration pathways for long-term residents.
The upcoming Council decision forms part of the EU’s broader policy response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which has included economic sanctions, military assistance, humanitarian support, and civil protection measures. The renewal of temporary protection signals the EU’s intention to provide continuity and stability for those affected by the conflict, particularly as no near-term resolution to the war is currently in sight.
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