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Three years since the activation of the Temporary Protection Directive: from emergency to longer-term solutions


Brussels, Belgium, 4 March 2025

Today marks three years since the EU activated the Temporary Protection Directive (TPD), which provided a safe pathway to protection formillions1 of people fleeing the war in Ukraine. It was a powerful demonstration of the EU’sunity and solidarity in the face of a humanitarian crisis, and proved to be an effective emergency mechanism for responding to large arrivals of people in a humane and orderly
way. It alleviated pressure on national asylum systems and provided displaced people with
immediate and collective protection, including the right to reside, work, study, and access
health care and social support in the EU.

The temporary protection regime is due to expire in March 2026, just one year away. Of the many challenges faced by people displaced from Ukraine, uncertainty about their legal status in the EU is among the most pressing. This lack of clarity impacts nearly every aspect of life: from securing stable employment and arranging long-term housing, to planning children’s education. Predictability is necessary for people to rebuild their lives with dignity and stability. It is promising to see that post-TPD solutions are a priority for the Commission and the Polish Presidency of the Council of the EU. Three years on, it is essential that the EU’s response to the needs of people displaced from Ukraine shifts from emergency measures to longer-term strategies and solutions.

In the meantime, some Member States – including Poland, the Czech Republic and Italy – have started developing pathways for people to transition out of temporary protection. However, many of these exit plans primarily rely on labour-based residence permits. Labour-based permits alone cannot be the answer, as many people covered by the TPD will not be able to meet the requirements. Not only does the proportion of temporary protection-holders who are employed vary greatly across Europe (from 8% in Hungary to 55% in the Netherlands), but it will leave many people in a vulnerable situation behind, including some people with disabilities, students, the elderly, third-country nationals and stateless persons granted refugee or complementary protection in Ukraine, people who experience discrimination in the labour market (for example, people who have been racialised), and those who cannot work full-time because they are caring for children or infirm family members.

The ad-hoc solutions proposed by Member States also risk overlooking the status of individuals who may be displaced from Ukraine after March 2026, as they may not fall within the scope of any post-TPD measures, including family members of those already in the EU. Unless these gaps are addressed, Member States’ asylum systems could be overburdened 1 According to the European Commission, as of December 2024, slightly more than 4.3 million non-EU citizens, who fled Ukraine as a consequence of the war were under temporary protection in the EU.

Once temporary protection ends, even though the TPD’s express purpose is to prevent this. The fact that some Member States have frozen asylum applications from people who fall under the TPD increases this risk. An EU-wide and coordinated approach would be beneficial not only for people displaced from Ukraine, but also for the countries and communities where they live – limiting the financial and administrative burdens associated with individually determining the status of the more than 4.3 million people who currently benefit from temporary protection.

  • We are calling on the EU to go beyond repeatedly renewing temporary protection and propose a coordinated and collective solution that would offer a more durable status and pathway to long-term residence. An EU-wide approach with strong EU leadership and coordination is vital to prevent a fragmented approach and people falling into irregularity, with vulnerable groups being disproportionately affected. Post-TPD solutions are long overdue. A collective of more than 130 civil society organisations welcomed the EU’s previous extension of the temporary protection regime through to March 2026 to provide time for policymakers to define durable solutions while ensuring
    short-term stability for displaced people. However, unless work starts now to make tangible progress in implementing a coordinated transition out of temporary protection, another one-year extension may be the only option.
  • Another one-year extension of the temporary protection regime beyond March 2026 must be considered as an exceptional and interim measure to ensure the continuation of protection and to prevent displaced individuals from becoming undocumented, or falling into uncertainty and losing their jobs, education, housing, or healthcare. If this interim arrangement is necessary, we urge the
    European Commission to propose as soon as possible a Council Implementation Decision extending the TPD until March 2027, while offering clarity on the future protection and residence status of people displaced from Ukraine. Despite recent diplomatic discussions on the potential for renewed peace talks, the humanitarian situation in Ukraine remains dire. There are daily reports of shelling and airstrikes, even in cities and villages hundreds of kilometers from the frontline. Should the
    ceasefire be achieved any time soon, the damage to Ukraine’s critical and civilian infrastructure and widespread contamination from explosive ordnance will take years to repair, restore, and clear before the situation permits safe, truly voluntary, and durable returns. In this context, it is worrying to see that some host countries have begun or are considering scaling back their support to people displaced from Ukraine – for example, by limiting the duration of government-sponsored housing support, or by restricting its scope to people who come from specific regions in Ukraine.
  • We call on Member States not to roll back support to people displaced from Ukraine, and to fully implement the provisions enshrined in the TPD. This includes ensuring full access to the rights and basic services it guarantees. It is essential that Member States respect their obligations regarding non-refoulement and avoid any measures that could directly or indirectly result in premature returns, jeopardising the safety and well-being of those in need.

    Signatories:
    All-Ukrainian NGO Coalition for People with Intellectual Disabilities
    Amnesty International
    Animus Association Foundation
    Anti-Discrimination Center “Memorial-Brussels”
    ARSIS Association for the Social Support of Youth
    Association for Integration and Migration
    ASTI Luxembourg
    ASTRA-Anti trafficking action
    Blue Door Education
    Bridges over Borders e.V.
    Caritas Bulgaria
    Caritas Española
    Caritas Europa
    Caritas Hellas
    Center for Legal Aid Voice in Bulgaria
    Centre for Peace Studies
    Centrum pro integraci cizinců, o. p. s.
    Churches´Commission for Migrants in Europe CCME
    Clare Immigrant Support Centre
    COFACE Families Europe
    Cohort
    CoMensha
    Consortium of Migrants Assisting Organizations in the Czech Republic
    Cultúr Migrant Centre
    CUSBU
    Danish Refugee Council
    Defence for Children In. Greece (DCI Greece)
    Diakonie ČCE – středisko Západní Čechy
    Diakonie Deutschland im Evangelischen Werk für Diakonie und Entwicklung e.V.
    Dutch Council for Refugees
    Ecumenical Council of Finland
    ELIL – European Lawyers in Lesvos
    ENSIE
    Eurodiaconia
    EuroMed Rights
    European Association of Service Providers for Persons with Disabilities (EASPD)
    European Federation of National Organisations Working with the Homeless (FEANTSA)
    European Network on Statelessness
    FairWork
    Fenix – Humanitarian Legal Aid
    Finnish Refugee Advice Centre
    Forum réfugiés
    Foundation for the Ukrainian Community of Malta
    Greek Council for Refugees (GCR)
    Greek Forum of Migrants
    HIAS Europe
    Hook Peninsula Friends of Ukraine
    ICMC Europe – Share Network
    Immigrant Council of Ireland
    Iniciativa Hlavak
    Inter Alia
    International Rescue Committee
    Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) Europe
    Jesuit Refugee Service Germany | Jesuiten-Flüchtlingsdienst Deutschland
    Jesuit Refugee Service Malta
    JRS France
    JRS Portugal
    JRS Romania
    Kerk in Actie
    La Cimade
    La Strada International
    LDH (Ligue des droits de l’Homme)
    LGBT Ireland
    Médecins du Monde International Network
    Migrant Voice
    Migration Consortium
    Migration Policy Group
    Migrationsrat Berlin
    Missing Children Europe
    Monde des Possibles ASBL
    Mujeres Supervivientes
    NESEHNUTÍ
    Neue Richtervereinigung – Zusammenschluss von Richterinnen und Richtern,
    Staatsanwältinnen und Staatsanwälten e.V.
    NewBees
    Nordic Ukraine Forum
    Nowegian Refugee Council
    OpenEmbassy
    OPORA Foundation
    ORBIT
    Oxfam
    PATCHWORK, Association for immigrant families of persons with disabilities
    Payoke
    People in Need
    PICUM – Platform for International Cooperation on Undocumented Migrants
    Podilsky Centr Genderna Rada Khmelnytska Oblasna
    PRO ASYL
    Red Cross EU Office
    Refugees Welcome, Denmark
    Right to Protection Charitable Fund
    Romodrom, o.p.s.
    Save the Children
    Scholars At Risk Europe
    Slovene Philanthropy
    Social Platform
    SOFT tulip Foundation
    SOLIDAR
    SolidarityNow
    SOS Children’s Villages International
    South Tipperary Development Clg
    Stichting LOS
    Stichting voor Vluchteling-Studenten UAF
    Terre des Hommes Deutschland e.V.
    The Council of African and Caribbean Churches
    The Open Doors Initiative
    Ukraine Civil Society Forum (Ireland)
    Vatra Psycho-Social Centre
    West Limerick Resources CLG
    Yoga and Sport with Refugees
    Громадська Организация ” Жіночій центр ” Підтримка Захист та Турбота

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