EU capitals are weighing whether to restrict access for Ukrainian men of conscription age under a possible extension of the bloc’s Temporary Protection Directive (TPD), the emergency program that has granted refuge to more than 4 million people since Russia’s full-scale invasion.
According to Euractiv, the idea is being discussed as part of broader talks on the future of the program, which allows Ukrainians to live and work across the EU without going through national asylum procedures.
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The current framework runs until March 2027, following a one-year extension agreed last year.
According to an internal Council of the EU document seen by the outlet, one option under consideration is prolonging the scheme while narrowing its scope – including through “the exclusion of men of conscription age” or individuals who left Ukraine through irregular channels.
Any such changes would apply only to new arrivals seeking protection status.
The discussions come as EU governments prepare for what could become a sixth year of emergency arrangements for displaced Ukrainians.
The European Commission has already urged member states to plan a gradual transition away from temporary protection toward more stable residency pathways, though implementation has been uneven across the bloc.
Some capitals argue the framework may need recalibration amid reports that a growing share of recent arrivals are military-age men.
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