Hungary has rejected a EU proposal to exclude newly arriving Ukrainian men of military age from temporary protection, putting Budapest at odds with Brussels as the bloc moves to extend the emergency scheme for Ukrainian refugees until March 4, 2028.
Prime Minister Péter Magyar said Budapest does not support the proposed restrictions, according to Hungarian outlet Magyar Hang.
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Speaking during a debate in the Hungarian parliament on Tuesday, Magyar said Interior Minister Gábor Pócsfai had already conveyed Hungary’s position during a meeting of EU interior ministers in Luxembourg.
“Even if the EU adopts such a decision, it will not prevent Hungary from granting refugee status to ethnic Hungarians arriving from Ukraine to escape the war or mobilization,” Magyar said.
The European Commission unveiled the proposal on Friday, extending temporary protection for Ukrainians fleeing Russia’s full-scale invasion until March 2028 while excluding newly arriving Ukrainian men of military age from the scheme.
“This is what Ukraine has asked us to do, and this is what we are doing,” EU Migration Commissioner Magnus Brunner said while presenting the proposal.
Under the commission’s plan, temporary protection would no longer apply to newly arriving Ukrainians who are not legally permitted to leave Ukraine because of military obligations under Ukrainian law.
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The restriction would apply only to new applicants, while Ukrainians already benefiting from temporary protection would retain their status.
The proposal comes as Brussels prepares for the eventual phase-out of the emergency protection regime introduced in the days after Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022.
As of March 2026, around 4.33 million Ukrainians were living in the EU under temporary protection. Germany hosted the largest number, with 1.27 million, followed by Poland (961,405), and Czechia (379,820).
The issue dominated discussions at this month’s meeting of EU migration ministers. While governments broadly supported extending the protection regime beyond 2027, several member states backed limiting future eligibility by excluding newly arriving Ukrainian men of military age.
According to diplomats familiar with the talks, France was the strongest opponent of narrowing access to the scheme.
The proposal still requires approval by a qualified majority of EU member states before it can take effect.
Hungary’s opposition comes as Denmark has already moved in the opposite direction.
In late June, Copenhagen introduced legislation that would end temporary protection for Ukrainian men aged 23 to 60. If adopted, the measure would apply to all applications submitted on or after June 25, 2026.
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