EU Records Sharp Rise in Ukrainians Under Temporary Protection

The number of Ukrainians granted temporary protection in the European Union surged, reaching the highest monthly total since August 2023.

The Gaze reports this, referring to new data published by Eurostat on November 10.

Across the EU, member states issued 79,205 new temporary protection decisions to people fleeing Russia’s full-scale invasion – a 49% increase compared to August 2025. 

The total number of Ukrainian beneficiaries under temporary protection rose by more than 49,500 individuals (+1.2%), surpassing 4.3 million people as of the end of September.

Eurostat noted that the uptick followed a late-August decree by the Ukrainian government allowing men aged 18 to 22 to leave the country without restriction.

Germany remained the leading host country, with 1.22 million Ukrainians under temporary protection (28.3% of the EU total), followed by Poland with 1.01 million (23.5%) and Czechia with 389,000 (9%).

Twenty-four EU member states reported an increase in beneficiaries. The largest absolute gains were observed in Poland (+12,960; +1.3%), Germany (+7,585; +0.6%), and Czechia (+3,455; +0.9%). France was the only country to record a slight decline (–240; –0.4%).

As of September 30, 98.4% of those under temporary protection were Ukrainian citizens. Women made up 44% of recipients, children 31%, and men 25.1%, reflecting the ongoing demographic imbalance caused by the war.

Following Russia’s invasion in 2022, the EU activated the Temporary Protection Directive, granting Ukrainians legal residence, access to healthcare, education, and employment across member states.

In June 2025, the EU Justice and Home Affairs Council decided to extend the directive until March 4, 2027, ensuring continued protection for millions of displaced Ukrainians.

As The Gaze reported earlier, as of June 30, 2025, the European Union was providing temporary protection to about 4.31 million people who fled Ukraine following Russia’s full-scale invasion.