EU ministers on Thursday largely backed a proposal to limit access to temporary protection for Ukrainian men of conscription age, Sweden's migration minister said, according to Reuters.
The European Union has activated the Directive on the Temporary Protection of Ukrainians after Russia's 2022 invasion to manage mass arrivals of displaced people.
The program, which has been extended three times and is due to expire in March 2027, grants beneficiaries residence permits, access to the labor market and social assistance.
Swedish Migration Minister Johan Forssell said his country was in favor of the proposal, which was discussed at a meeting of the Justice and Home Affairs Council in Luxembourg.
Any restrictions should only apply to new arrivals applying for temporary protection status, not those already under the program, he added.
“The war must be fought and won”
“It's essential for us to give the Ukrainians protection, but at the same time the war has to be fought and won. For that to happen, it's essential that more men stay in Ukraine and fight,” Forssell said before the meeting.
The European Commission would have to propose any extension or change to the scheme, which must then be approved by EU countries.
More than 4.33 million people who fled Ukraine currently benefit from this directive, according to Eurostat data.
Germany hosts the largest share of Ukrainians under the scheme, around 29% of the EU total, followed by Poland and the Czech Republic, Eurostat data showed.
