03 March 2022
The European Commission announced yesterday that it is proposing to activate the Temporary Protection Directive to offer quick and effective assistance to people fleeing the war in Ukraine.
Under this proposal, those fleeing the war will be granted temporary protection in the EU, meaning that they will be given a residence permit, and will have access to education and the labour market.
“Temporary protection” is an exceptional measure to provide immediate and temporary protection to displaced persons who are from outside the EU and unable to return to their country of origin.
Vice-President for Promoting our European Way of Life, Margaritis Schinas, said, “All those fleeing the war will be provided with a secure status and access to schools, medical care and work. At the same time, we are working to facilitate efficient crossings at the borders for people and their pets, with the necessary security checks. The times are bearing heavily down upon us but the European Union and every single one of its Member States is showing beyond a doubt that we are ready to step up to the plate and stand in solidarity with Ukraine.”
Since Russia’s military invasion of Ukraine, over 650,000 people have fled to neighbouring EU Member States. The Temporary Protection Directive was specifically conceived to give immediate protection to the people who need it and avoid overwhelming Member States’ asylum systems.
Commissioner for Home Affairs, Ylva Johansson, said, “With our proposals today, we will give Member States further capacity to manage this crisis in an orderly and effective way. We will grant residency rights, labour market access and housing to people in need and finally, with the guidelines, we will make sure those fleeing the war in Ukraine can get to the EU quickly, without going through lengthy formalities at the borders.”
The European Council still has to adopt the Temporary Protection proposal, the Commission added. The Council already expressed broad support for both measures at the extraordinary meeting on the 27th of February and has committed to discussing the two documents at the Justice and Home Affairs Council.
Once adopted, temporary protection would start applying immediately and run for one year. This period is extended automatically by six monthly periods for a further year.
Yesterday, it was reported that the Spanish government will allow Ukrainians who have arrived in recent months to reside and work in the country. Meanwhile, the Romanian News Agency reported yesterday that Ukrainian citizens who want to work in Romania do not need proof of employment for up to nine months in a calendar year.
SIA recently published its International Talent Mobility report which covers international labour migration.
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