The Council of the c has announced that the Member States have agreed to extend temporary protection for all Ukrainians living in the bloc.
According to the Council, the decision to extend temporary protection was taken in order to provide certainty for over four million refugees from Ukraine who are currently living in the EU.
The same authority revealed that it has agreed to extend the temporary protection for those fleeing Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine for a year, from March 4, 2024, to March 4, 2025.
Commenting on the matter, the Spanish acting minister of the interior, Fernando Grande-Marlaska Gómez, said that the EU will continue to support all Ukrainian refugees for as long as it takes, reassuring them once again of the bloc’s unwavering support.
The EU will support the Ukrainian people for as long as it takes. The prolongation of the protection status offers certainty to the more than 4 million refugees who have found a safe haven in the EU.
The temporary protection mechanism for Ukrainians was activated on March 4, 2022, only a few days after the armed forces of Russia launched a large-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Back then, the temporary protection for those fleeing the war was automatically extended by a year and earlier this year, it was once against extended until 2024.
The temporary protection mechanism allows all those displaced and who are not in a position to return to their country of origin to have the right of residence in the EU, access to the labour market, housing, and education for children.
Moreover, those under temporary protection also are eligible for medical assistance and social welfare assistance.
Prior to the EU Home Affairs Ministers meeting, the Minister of the Interior of Finland, Mari Rantanen, said that her country will continue to provide assistance to Ukrainians who have fled the war.
The Government Programme states that Finland will provide full assistance to people who have fled the war in Ukraine. We, therefore, support the proposal to extend temporary protection.
The Minister further noted that Finland and the other Member States will continue to provide harmonised status and rights to Ukrainians.
She also stressed that the EU cooperate with Ukraine on internal security, with the aim of responding to any internal security threats posed by Russia.
By cooperating on internal security with Ukraine the Member States also want to intensify operational cooperation in border security, arms smuggling, and foreign extremist fighters, among others.
