Poland Reportedly Backs EU Plan to Restrict Protection for Some Ukrainian Men

Poland is backing changes to the European Union’s temporary protection system for Ukrainian refugees, arguing that military-age Ukrainian men should no longer automatically qualify for the special status granted after Russia’s full-scale invasion.

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, Euractiv reported on Monday, June 1.

The current framework runs until March 2027, following a one-year extension agreed on last year.

According to RMF24, Warsaw is reportedly pushing for military-age Ukrainian men who are not legally permitted to leave Ukraine to be excluded from the system. Polish officials argue that the current arrangement creates a unique privilege not available to other migrant groups and should be revised.

At the same time, Poland opposes proposals to differentiate Ukrainians based on where they come from. Some EU officials have floated the idea of denying protection to people arriving from regions considered relatively safe.

Warsaw rejects that approach, insisting that no part of Ukraine can be regarded as fully secure while Russian missile and drone attacks continue across the country.

The debate comes as EU governments consider what should replace the emergency protection mechanism introduced in the first weeks of the war.

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Among the options under discussion are extending the program until 2028, transitioning refugees to national residence permit systems, or gradually shifting Ukrainians into standard migration procedures.

Poland has already begun implementing its own transition model through the CUKR card program, which allows Ukrainian refugees to move from temporary protection to a three-year residence permit.

EU officials are also discussing how to manage the eventual return of refugees once the war ends. However, officials stress that no plans are being considered for the forced return of military-age Ukrainian men.

According to an internal EU Council document cited by Euractiv, one proposal would narrow access to temporary protection for future applicants, including military-age men and people who left Ukraine without legal authorization.

Any such changes would apply only to new applications and would not affect Ukrainians who have already received protected status.