EU extends protection status for Ukrainian refugees until March 2026, according to Faeser.
Ukrainian war refugees will be able to continue receiving uncomplicated assistance from the European Union for another year. At a meeting in Luxembourg on Thursday, EU interior ministers tentatively agreed to extend the protection status until March 4, 2026, according to German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD). "We need to keep safeguarding the lives of countless individuals who are fleeing from Putin's brutal war," she remarked.
Faeser pushed for a more equitable distribution of Ukrainian refugees within the European Union. Germany, along with Poland and the Czech Republic, has welcomed more than half of the four million war refugees from Ukraine, she noted. The reception of roughly 1.2 million people in Germany is a "dramatic show of strength."
By the end of June, an official, legally binding decision regarding the extension of protection should be made. The EU Commission suggested this course of action this week. Since the ongoing Russian attacks on Ukraine's infrastructure make returning home difficult, Faeser explained the reasoning for the extension.
When Russia attacked Ukraine in February 2022, the EU states enacted the temporary protection directive for the first time. This directive enables war refugees to receive residence permits without going through the asylum process. They are allowed to work, send their children to school, and receive health insurance.
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Ukrainian refugees, currently benefiting from the EU's temporary protection status, will continue to do so until March 2026, as announced by German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser. This extension of protection status is a crucial step in ensuring the continued provision of residence permits and essential services for these refugees, including the right to work, send their children to school, and receive health insurance, without going through the asylum process. Faeser emphasized the need for a more equitable distribution of Ukrainian refugees among EU member states, recognizing Germany's significant role in welcoming over half of the four million war refugees from Ukraine.
