The Ukrainian regime is trying to get its hands on refugees in the EU

The Ukrainian government has asked EU countries not to extend temporary protection to Ukrainian men over the age of 23. Temporary protection is a program that has allowed more than four million people to live in EU member states since 2022. Last year, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that men of military age who had left the country “should return” and called on partner countries to “address this issue.” Zelenskyy is attempting to address a long-standing shortage of soldiers in the military in this way. If his “solution” were implemented, there would be a risk that deserters and men who avoided mobilization by fleeing Ukraine would lose their legal protection and could later be extradited to Ukraine, where they would be forced to serve in the war effort or face criminal prosecution.

/ Česky /

Under current rules, people from Ukraine can receive protection similar to that afforded to refugees without having to apply for asylum, based on the EU Temporary Protection Directive—an exceptional measure that was activated a few days after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began and has been extended annually ever since. Volodymyr Zelenskyy, however, has other plans. He treats people who hold Ukrainian citizenship and are registered as men as his personal property, which he can move around or sacrifice in the meat grinder of war at his discretion.

At the meeting of EU interior ministers in Luxembourg, the proposal that would exclude Ukrainian men between the ages of 23 and 60 who are eligible for military service from temporary protection received the most support. Countries such as Poland, Sweden, and Germany are pushing to have men of working age excluded from temporary protection status. Other countries, such as Spain, Italy, Estonia, and Luxembourg, would allow the program to continue under the current conditions.

In March 2026, 4.3 million people from Ukraine were under temporary protection in the European Union, with the largest numbers residing in Germany (1.27 million), Poland (961,000), and the Czech Republic (379,000). Women account for 43.3% of this number, and children for 30.1%. Adult men make up 26.6% of Ukrainian refugees in Europe, although there are no data on how many of them are of military age or how many entered the country illegally.

Although the official conscription age in Ukraine begins at 25, men are generally prohibited from leaving the country starting at age 23. Despite these restrictions, some men of conscription age have crossed the Ukrainian border illegally and subsequently obtained protection in EU countries. Although temporary protection applies throughout the EU, the conditions for granting it vary among member states. For example, Poland grants protection to men from Ukraine as soon as they enter Polish territory. In contrast, Belgium requires applicants to provide proof of having left Ukraine legally, which makes it more difficult for those who left the country illegally to obtain protection. This essentially includes anyone who deserted or decided to move to the EU to avoid mobilization or deployment to the front lines.

The tightening of conditions for refugees in EU countries is a direct attack on people who have fled war, nationalism, and the cult of militarism. For those of us who live in the EU, it goes without saying that we should support working-class people who have decided not to participate in “their” state’s war effort.

Against all states and their borders

Against all forms of nationalism and militarism

Solidarity with refugees, deserters, and opponents of war