Bulgaria extends temporary protection of Ukrainian refugees until 2025

In accordance with the decision of the European Commission, the Council of Ministers of Bulgaria announced the extension of temporary protection for refugees from Ukraine, Ukrinform reports. The extension will take effect on March 4, 2024, and will last for one year.

This decision follows the European Commission's decision to extend the Temporary Protection Directive, which emphasizes collective efforts to address the humanitarian challenges caused by the war. Thus, Bulgaria and other European countries reaffirm their commitment to providing safe haven to those seeking it.

As reported by Ukrinform, Poland has not yet extended temporary protection for Ukrainians who arrived after the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Also, the Israeli government has decided to continue to assist Ukrainian refugees who arrived in the country because of the war against Ukraine launched by Russia.

Earlier, The Gaze reported that the government of Bulgaria has decided to extend the humanitarian aid program for refugees from Ukraine until April 30, 2024, as reported by The Sofia Globe.

The humanitarian aid program involves state payments for the living expenses of individuals who have fled the war in Ukraine and have received temporary protection in Bulgaria under the European Commission directive.

According to the official government portal, though these figures have not been updated for several weeks, 2,133,450 Ukrainians have entered Bulgaria since the full-scale invasion of Russia into Ukraine, with 52,125 of them remaining in Bulgaria.

In total, 171,571 individuals have registered for temporary protection in Bulgaria. According to the portal, 6,919 of them are accommodated within the state program.