On June 4, interior ministers of EU countries gathered in Luxembourg for the first time to officially discuss a single question: whether to continue automatic temporary protection for Ukrainian men of draft age after March 2027. No decisions were made. But positions became clearer.
What Austria is proposing
Austria's interior minister Gerhard Karner gave a comment to Welt before the meeting: from March 2027, men aged 23 to 60 should no longer receive automatic protection under the EU Directive on temporary asylum. The argument is not only Austrian interests, but also the needs of Ukraine itself.
«Ukraine needs its male citizens of draft age»
Gerhard Karner, Austria's interior minister, — Welt
According to RBC-Ukraine reports, several member states expressed support for this position, including Cyprus. Poland, which hosts the second-largest Ukrainian community after Germany, also sent signals to Brussels supporting restrictions. Austria insists on swift action.
What Brussels says
The European Commission took a cautious stance. According to Radio Free Europe, Corinna Ullrich, a representative of the Directorate General for Migration, confirmed: member states generally support continuing protection after 2027, but with possible changes for new applicants. Those already under protection in the EU will not lose their status.
According to an internal EU Council document seen by Euractiv, among the options being considered is «exclusion of men of draft age» from the scope of the Directive — but only for those who apply for protection after the reform. The European Commission planned to prepare the proposal in spring 2025.
Scale: what the numbers show
According to Eurostat, as of February 2026, approximately 1.42 million Ukrainian men aged 18 to 64 had temporary protection in EU countries. Compared to the previous year — an increase of nearly 16%. The largest concentration is in Germany (312,000), Poland, and the Czech Republic.
For comparison: estimates put Ukraine's mobilization reserve in the 25–60 age group at approximately 3.7 million people. This means every fourth potential conscript is in the EU — not counting those without official status.
A separate factor: after August 2025, Ukraine allowed men aged 18 to 22 to leave the country. They will not fall under possible new restrictions — Austria's age threshold starts at 23.
The price of shortage — on both sides
The EU discussion is taking place against the backdrop of an acute labor market crisis in Ukraine. According to the European Business Association, in 2025, 74% of Ukrainian companies reported worker shortages. The employment service received 427,000 vacancies in the first 11 months of 2025, but filled only 63% of them.
«The deficit of people with technical skills and education is catastrophic», economist Oleg Penzin told Radio Free Europe's Ukrainian editorial office. According to him, Ukraine is oversupplied with economists and lawyers, while it critically lacks drivers, welders, and boiler operators. The IMF forecasts a slowdown in Ukraine's GDP growth to 2–3% in 2025 — and names labor shortage as one of the key braking factors.
At the same time, the return of millions of refugees will impact recipient countries. As Reuters notes, Central and Eastern Europe risks suffering significant labor market gaps — up to 59% of Ukrainian migrants in surveys stated a desire to return after the war ends.
EU Commissioner for Internal Affairs Magnus Brunner formulated the dilemma succinctly: «Temporary protection — as the name implies — is temporary. We need a next plan». For now, there is no such plan in Brussels, Warsaw, or Vienna.
If the European Commission does propose closing access to protection for new male applicants rather than just discussing it — the main question will become different: will Ukraine be able to create incentives for voluntary return stronger than fear of mobilization, while the Directive is still in effect?
