Germany to strip Ukrainian men of military age of automatic temporary protection

Ukrainian men of military age arriving in Germany for the first time will no longer automatically receive temporary protection status — instead, they will have to go through the standard asylum application procedure.

This was announced by German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt.

According to Dobrindt, each case will be considered individually under the standard asylum application process. The minister expressed support for this approach.

The changes were made possible following a preliminary EU ruling that extended the temporary protection mechanism for Ukrainians overall, but granted member states the right not to apply it to newly arriving men of military age.

Germany’s Interior Ministry clarified that the new rules apply to men between the ages of 23 and 60 who are entering the country for the first time.

Ukrainian citizens already residing in Germany under the temporary protection program will not be affected by the changes.