EU extends temporary protection for Ukrainian refugees until March 2027

MOSCOW. June 16 (Interfax) - The European Union has extended temporary protection for Ukrainian refugees until March 2027.

The Council of the European Union has supported the proposal that temporary protection of more than 4 million Ukrainians be extended until March 4, 2027, Ukrainian media said, citing the Council's statement.

The Polish presidency of the Council of the European Union has also initiated a discussion of the strategy for the gradual lifting of temporary protection once the crisis is over, Polish Interior and Administration Minister Tomasz Siemoniak said.

The EU has given asylum to over 4 million refugees from Ukraine under the Temporary Protection Directive since March 2022. Temporary protection was due to run until March 2026, now it is extended until March 4, 2027.

Extension until March 2027 sends a message to displaced persons from Ukraine that they do not have to apply for asylum, the Council of the European Union said.