The European Commission on Tuesday proposed extending temporary protection for people displaced from Ukraine as a result of the Russian invasion until March 2025, considering this a “necessary and appropriate response to the current situation.”
“The European Commission today proposes a further extension of temporary protection for people fleeing Russian aggression against Ukraine, from March 4, 2024 to March 3, 2025,” a measure that will “provide security and support to more than four million people benefit from protection across the EU,” the institution said in a statement.
Brussels states that “the reasons for temporary protection remain and that temporary protection should therefore be extended as a necessary and appropriate response to the current unstable situation, which is not yet conducive to the safe and sustainable return of people enjoying temporary protection in the EU”.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has led to the influx of millions of people seeking refuge in the EU and neighboring countries, some of whom have already returned to the country.
This situation led the EU to implement in March 2022 the Temporary Protection Directive, which had never been used until then, despite being established in 2001 following the large-scale displacements that took place in Europe as a result of armed conflicts in the Western Balkans.
The activation, based on a unanimous decision of EU countries taken in 2022, was automatically extended for another year.
“Since the activation of temporary protection, just a week after Russia’s brutal war of aggression against Ukraine, Member States have shown unprecedented solidarity with the Ukrainian people, not only welcoming them to their country but also making concrete efforts to facilitate their integration into society”says the community board.
This proposal from the European Commission will now have to be adopted by the Council.
The Temporary Protection Directive provides immediate protection and access to rights in the EU, including residence rights, access to the labor market, housing, social assistance and medical assistance.
It also helps prevent pressure on national asylum systems, allowing European countries to manage arrivals in an orderly and effective manner.
Last week, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced during the State of the Union address that the institution would extend temporary protection for people displaced by the war in Ukraine and guarantee support “for as long as necessary”. .
The Russian military offensive on Ukrainian territory has plunged Europe into what is considered the worst security crisis since World War II (1939-1945), as well as the worst refugee crisis on the European continent since the same conflict.
Source: DN
