Migration and Fundamental Rights Bulletin - 3/2026
TABLE OF CONTENT
Search inside this publication
National approaches towards beneficiaries of temporary protection continue to vary considerably in terms of the scope, level and conditions of support provided, according to the Asylum and migration overview 2025 of the European Migration Network, published in July 2026. Several countries adjusted accommodation and social welfare policies in response to rising costs and a broader shift away from emergency assistance towards greater self-sufficiency. Young Ukrainian men appear to be particularly vulnerable, facing mental-health and integration challenges, while some are also excluded from the latest extension of temporary protection.
The EU extended temporary protection for another year until March 2028. According to Eurostat nearly 4.4 million people benefit from temporary protection. The decision excludes those with military obligations in Ukraine. The Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, the Irish Refugee Council and PICUM in a July 2026 blog post, raise concerns about these widely applied restrictions. This might have a disproportionate impact on Ukrainian men of military age. However, persons who do not qualify for temporary protection may still apply for international protection, and refusal to perform military service can, in certain circumstances, form the basis of a protection claim—for example where the individual faces persecution for reasons of religion or conscience.
Overall, keeping and obtaining temporary protection seems to become more difficult in some countries. In Denmark, for example, a new law restricts access to Denmark’s Ukraine special residence scheme for people covered by Ukrainian mobilisation rules, including some family-reunification cases. Applications filed before 25 June 2026 are generally assessed under the old rules.
In Latvia, the Ministry of Interior is planning an amendment to the Law on Assistance to Ukrainian Civilians. The proposal would let Ukrainian civilians with temporary protection in Latvia apply for permanent residence after five years of continuous lawful stay, including time spent under Ukraine-specific visas or permits. Applicants would also need proof that they are exempt from mobilisation-related military service, and the permit would not grant EU long-term resident status.
A new law in Poland requires people to confirm their identity at a Polish municipality office by 31 August 2026 for those with a PESEL number (Poland’s national personal identification number) and with UKR status (which grants temporary protection rights to eligible Ukrainian refugees in Poland), if they had been originally registered without a passport. These requirements may be particularly difficult for children, especially where identity was previously recorded through a parent’s or guardian’s document. Failure to verify identity can result in loss of UKR status and ineligibility for CUKR. CUKR is a three-year temporary residence permit in Poland for eligible Ukrainian beneficiaries of temporary protection who choose to transition from UKR status to temporary residence.
According to the Ministry of Interior in Slovakia , Ukrainian men aged 18–60 seeking temporary protection must prove compliance with Ukrainian military obligations.
Besides temporary protection, and in line with Council Recommendation on the coordinated transition out of temporary protection, Member States continue to implement different national residence solutions for people with temporary protection.
In Finland, according to a press release of the Ministry of Interior, for example, at the end of July 2026, a total of 4 300 Ukrainians have been granted a residence permit on the basis of work and 2 800 on the basis of family ties.
In Slovakia, an amendment to the Act on the Residence of Foreigners, entering into force on 15 July 2026, introduced a one-year transitional period after the end of temporary protection, during which beneficiaries may apply for a standard temporary residence permit, including for employment, business, studies or family reunification, subject to specific conditions. During the consultation process, UNHCR and other civil society organisations raised concerns that some vulnerable beneficiaries may face difficulties in meeting these conditions and, as a result, may be unable to transition to the new legal regime.
In some Member States, transitioning from temporary protection to another residence status may create a gap in access to reception conditions and social support.
Austria’s Chancellery announced that family allowance for beneficiaries of temporary protection from Ukraine lapsed on 1 July 2026. Parliament subsequently adopted an amendment restoring entitlement retroactively from 1 July 2026 and removing the previous requirement to be employed or registered with the Public Employment Service. The amendment generally excludes people receiving basic care (Grundversorgung), except for certain disability-related cases, and had not yet entered into force as of end of September 2026. Several aid and civil-society organisations criticised the exclusion, warning it could increase child poverty and hinder families’ economic independence.
According to the government in Ireland, the Temporary Protection Transition Scheme, open from 30 September 2026 to 30 March 2027, allows eligible beneficiaries of temporary protection to transition to a new permission. Applicants must have resided in Ireland under temporary protection for at least one year, have been employed or self-employed for six months with a minimum annual salary of 29 432 EUR and not be residing in state-supported accommodation at the time of application. Qualifying family members may also transition. Applicants receiving a rent supplement remain eligible. The scheme operates alongside the phased wind-down of state-contracted accommodation for beneficiaries of temporary protection.
In the Netherlands, two interim rulings by the District Court of The Hague in August 2026 (ECLI:NL:RBDHA:2026:23982 and ECLI:NL:RBDHA:2026:24478) highlighted the socio-economic consequences of disputes over temporary protection, particularly access to accommodation and employment. In both cases, Ukrainian women risked losing municipal housing after Dutch authorities refused temporary protection because of links to prior protection in Poland. While one request for interim relief was rejected, another was granted, with the court taking into account the applicant’s risk of homelessness and her need to support a seriously ill mother. The divergent rulings also illustrate continuing legal uncertainty over how prior or current protection in another Member State affects access to temporary protection in the Netherlands.
As of 1 July 2026, under the Expiration Act, Poland has limited state-funded collective accommodation for temporary protection beneficiaries to certain vulnerable groups, while others must leave the centres or cover the costs themselves. The government has introduced measures, including the initiative Together towards Independence to support transitions to independent housing and reduce risks of homelessness and family separation.
In June, UNHCR Ireland concluded a joint evidence-building and training project with the government to embed a trauma-informed approach to international protection accommodation provision.
A 2026 factsheet of the Research and Data Centre of the Dutch government found that Ukrainian refugees’ mental health in the Netherlands has worsened since 2023, with about 65% reporting depression or anxiety symptoms and 28% high or very high stress. Women are seeking professional help more often, but informal support remains common. Social contact has declined, and loneliness is higher than among the Dutch population.
A July 2026 European Commission reference research on migrant integration in Romania highlights that Ukrainian male refugees aged 15–25 in Romania face significant mental-health and integration challenges linked to family separation, war-related uncertainty, masculine role expectations, discrimination, and language barriers. A UNHCR 2025 assessment, published in August 2026, indicates that Ukrainian refugees in Romania continue to face economic insecurity, social isolation and gaps in access to services, despite progress in socio-economic integration. A Socio-Economic Insights Survey 2025, published in July 2026, also reports deteriorating mental health and psychosocial wellbeing, linked to financial hardship, isolation and reduced community activities in Romania.
In Sweden, a project on Facilitating Refugee Integration through Dedicated Mental Health Support, implemented between April 2025 and October 2026, provided community-based mental health support to Ukrainian refugees. The project aimed to strengthen mental well-being and facilitate integration through peer-support groups.
