The EU is considering revoking the directive on temporary protection for Ukrainian refugees – Euractiv

Brussels is considering canceling the Temporary Protection Directive under which Ukrainian refugees live in Europe.

This was reported by Euractiv.

According to Euractiv, the EU initiated the directive in March 2022 as a temporary measure to protect people fleeing the war. Initially, it was assumed that the document would be extended only twice, with the protection period expiring in March 2025. However, the European Commission extended it to March 2026.

Now, behind closed doors, “exit strategies” and a gradual phasing-out of protection are being discussed more insistently, the publication writes.

EU member states may raise the issue of cancellation at the June 12–13 meeting of the Justice and Home Affairs Council. Most countries support the extension of protection, but experts warn that there is little legal room left to do so.

“If we don’t find a way to exit the protection, we risk overloading national asylum systems, which is precisely what the directive was intended to prevent,” one expert said.

The EU now needs to develop a transition strategy from temporary protection — for those who want to stay and those who intend to return to Ukraine, he believes. One scenario could involve narrowing the scope of protection, such as denying newly arrived people access to benefits. Another alternative could be the creation of a new legal instrument, but this is seen as unlikely.