The EU extends the right of residence for Ukrainians. Until the protection measures / how many refugees are in Romania are valid

The countries of the European Union approved, on Friday, the one-year prolongation of the temporary protection offered to Ukrainian refugees running away from the war launched by Russia, allowing them to remain on the territory of the Community block until March 2027, AFP reports.

About 4.3 million Ukrainian refugees are registered in the EU, and Germany, Poland and Czech Republic are the countries that host the most numerous communities, according to AFP.

According to data provided by the United Nations Agency for Refugees (UNHCR), quoted by The Independent, on January 1, 2025 in Germany, there were over 1.24 million Ukrainian refugees, in Poland there were almost 999,000, and in the Czech Republic there were about 390,000. In Romania there were about 179,000, and in the Republic of Moldova there were about 136,000.

“While Russia continues to terrorize Ukrainian civilians with air attacks without discrimination, the EU continues to show their solidarity,” said Tomasz Siemoniak, the interior minister of Poland, the country that owns the Rotary Presidency of the EU Council.

“We will continue to provide protection for millions of Ukrainian refugees for another year,” added the Polish official.

Temporary protection was introduced in the first weeks of the Ukraine war, launched by Russia on February 24, 2022. After several extensions, the measure was to expire in March 2026, but was extended by another year, until March 4, 2027.

The initiative was proposed by the European Commission last week and received “unanimous support” from the interior ministers in the EU states on Friday, during a meeting in Luxembourg.

Discussions about the end of the mechanism

The ministers have also begun to debate the preparations for the end of the mechanism, when it is believed that some of the Ukrainians will return to their country, while others may request to remain in the EU.

“The Polish presidency has also initiated discussions on a strategy for gradually eliminating temporary protection once a fair peace is achieved,” said Minister Siemoniak.

“In the near future, we will work on common solutions, at the EU level, in this area, including in the context of return in Ukraine,” said the Polish Minister of Internal Affairs.

People who benefit from temporary protection enjoy the same rights throughout the EU, including a residence permit, access to the labor market and housing, medical assistance, social assistance and access to education.

EU states have received millions of Ukrainians with open arms in the early stages of the war, but there are signals that patience ends in some countries.

Poland, a firm supporter of Kiev throughout the war, has recently elected a president who wants to reduce the benefits of Ukrainians.

Even Germany takes into account a reduction in benefits, because at the national level has tightened the mood in terms of immigration.