Europe extends protection for Ukrainians as Russia intensifies attacks on towns and cities. The Council of the European Union has endorsed the European Commission’s proposal to extend temporary protection for over 4 million Ukrainians until 4 March 2027. These individuals have taken refuge in the EU, fleeing Russia’s ongoing war of aggression against Ukraine.

What has been decided:

• The protection status is extended for one year, from 2026 to 2027 
• The conditions remain unchanged: Ukrainians retain their rights to residence, education, healthcare, and employment
• No new restrictions or exclusions have been introduced

While Russia continues to terrorize Ukraine’s civilian population with indiscriminate airstrikes, the European Union reaffirms its solidarity with the Ukrainian people.

“We will continue to offer protection for millions of Ukrainian refugees for another year,” emphasizes Polish Interior Minister Tomasz Siemoniak.

Poland, which currently holds the rotating EU Council presidency, also initiated discussions on a strategy for phasing out temporary protection, once peace is achieved. In the coming months, the EU will work toward joint, coordinated decisions on this matter, particularly regarding the return of refugees to Ukraine.

Since March 2022, the EU has granted shelter to more than 4 million Ukrainian refugees under the Temporary Protection Directive. This protection was originally set to expire on 4 March 2026, but will now be extended by another year.

The extension does not alter the scope of the original March 2022 decision—the rights of those eligible for temporary protection remain unchanged.

The European Commission has reportedly appointed former home affairs commissioner Ylva Johansson as the EU’s special envoy for Ukrainians, a newly created position to implement its updated refugee strategy.

Politico reported on 12 June that two officials familiar with the matter confirmed Johansson’s selection. Her appointment comes as the European Union unveiled a long-term approach to manage the needs of the displaced Ukrainians.

Johansson, who served as home affairs commissioner from 2019 to 2024, previously visited Ukraine several times. Her trips included a visit to a refugee camp near the Romania border. In recognition of her efforts, she received the Ukrainian order of merit in September last year.

Refugee protection extended as part of the EU’s updated response

Last week, the European Commission extended the temporary protection status for Ukrainian refugees, reinforcing its commitment to their welfare. The EU executive detailed plans to either transition these individuals into permanent legal arrangements or assist those who choose to return to Ukraine. Johansson is expected to be at the forefront of coordinating these measures across member states.

While some European officials have expressed concerns over growing “fatigue” in certain host countries toward hosting Ukrainian refugees, others remain in favor of retaining them to strengthen local workforces. 

Ylva Johansson, former European Commissioner for Home Affairs, will serve as the European Union's new special envoy for Ukrainians in the bloc, POLITICO reported on June 12.

According to anonymous officials that spoke to POLITICO, Johansson will fill the newly created post, overseeing the Commission's long-term strategy for Ukrainian refugees currently residing in the European Union.

Johansson, a former Swedish minister and European Commission official, previously visited Ukraine on several occasions, including a refugee camp on the border with Romania. She received the Ukrainian order of merit in September 2024.

As special envoy, Johansson will be responsible for EU initiatives focused on helping Ukrainian refugees transition into permanent legal statuses or return home.

As part of these initiatives, the EU will launch "unity hubs" – information centers jointly managed with the Ukrainian government. The hubs will support Ukrainian refugees to integrate with EU host countries or repatriate to Ukraine.

Germany, which has has taken in more than 1 million Ukrainian refugees since the start of the full-scale invasion, recently committed to establishing unity hubs in Berlin. The unity hubs in Berlin will provide Ukrainians with access to educational and career opportunities both in Ukraine and Germany.

The European Commission also recently extended temporary protection Ukrainian refugees who fled to the EU following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

According to Eurostat, 4.26 million Ukrainians currently hold temporary protection status in the EU as of April 2025.

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The Kyiv IndependentTim Zadorozhnyy

Editor's note: This story has been updated to include the White House's response.

The Trump administration is preparing to transfer thousands of undocumented foreign nationals, including Ukrainian citizens, to the U.S. military detention facility at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba, the Washington Post reported on June 10, citing undisclosed U.S. official sources.

The infamous prison facility was established by the Bush administration in 2002 to hold suspected terrorists amid the War on Terror. Its operations attracted broad criticism for reports of torture, abuse, and for the facility's position outside of normal legal frameworks.

The detainees reportedly include individuals from countries such as the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Ukraine. The move is part of a broader plan to free up capacity at overcrowded domestic facilities.

U.S. officials told the Washington Post that there were no plans to notify the governments of these citizens before their transfer to the facility.

The White House responded to the Washington Post's reporting, with Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt calling it "Fake News" on X.

Medical screenings for 9,000 individuals are reportedly underway to assess whether they are physically fit for transfer. Internal documents reviewed by the Washington Post suggest the facility is currently underutilized and could accommodate more detainees.

The Homeland Security Department and the White House declined to comment for the Washington Post on the reporting, which is based on information from multiple anonymous officials and internal documents. A defense official maintained that current operations at the base remain "unchanged" and refused to speculate on "future missions."

Some home countries of the targeted detainees have previously expressed willingness to repatriate their nationals, but have been deemed too slow by U.S. immigration authorities.

The White House has not confirmed the number of Ukrainians affected, and Ukraine's Foreign Ministry has yet to comment.

The plan to revive Guantanamo as a holding site for mass immigration enforcement is part of President Donald Trump's broader pledge to ramp up deportations and arrests, with a goal of at least 3,000 arrests daily, according to White House officials.

Previously, the media reported that the Trump administration planned to revoke the temporary legal status of 240,000 Ukrainian refugees who fled Russia's invasion.

According to a March 6 article by Reuters, the administration aims to cancel refugees' immigration status granted under the Biden-era Uniting for Ukraine program, potentially exposing them to deportation. Although the White House denied the claim, internal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) documents suggest preparations for fast-tracked removals are underway.

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The Kyiv IndependentAnna Fratsyvir

The Netherlands has set a deadline for third-country nationals who arrived from Ukraine after Russia’s full-scale invasion began in 2022 to leave the country, the Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND) announced on 6 June.

As of early 2025, approximately 6.3 to 6.7 million Ukrainians have fled to European countries following the Russian invasion. Around 4.3 to 5.4 million registered as refugees across Europe. As of February 2025, there are about 120,000 Ukrainian refugees in Netherlands, according to the Statistics Netherlands.

Starting 4 September 2025, third-country nationals who came from Ukraine will no longer have the right to temporary protection in the Netherlands and will have four weeks to leave the country, the IND explained.

The decision affects approximately 1,000 people, according to the service. They will receive letters with relevant information next week.

“The exception applies to those who have residence permits or are undergoing asylum procedures, or who applied for permanent residence permits before 4 September,” according to the statement.

The ruling follows an April decision in the Netherlands that authorities could stop providing asylum to third-country nationals who arrived from Ukraine fleeing Russia’s full-scale invasion – such as students or labor migrants.

The IND’s Dutch-language statement provides additional context on the legal background. “Third-country nationals are people from outside the EU who temporarily stayed in Ukraine, for example on a student visa, and fled to the Netherlands together with Ukrainians after the war broke out,” the service explained.

Since April last year, a freeze measure had been in place for this group because it was unclear whether temporary protection could be terminated for them. This allowed them to retain rights to accommodation, municipal services and work.

The end of the freeze measure means these people must leave the Netherlands within four weeks from 4 September. Exceptions apply to those with residence permits, ongoing asylum procedures, or who submitted applications for regular residence permits before 4 September.

The EU Commission recently proposed extending temporary protection for Ukrainian refugees until March 2027 to ensure continued legal certainty and support across all member states. Individual countries have not terminated the protection but may adjust national conditions.

European Union support intended for Ukrainian war refugees in Lithuania went to citizens of hostile states, LRT Radio reported on 28 May.

More than one million euros ($1,1 mn) in aid will have to be returned from the budget.

The Ministry of Social Security and Labor has already started an internal audit. The European Social Fund Agency (ESFA), which supervised the project, dismissed its director. The agency claimed that the regulations at the time allowed aid to be given to non-Ukrainians.

Ukrainian war refugees in Lithuania receive support including food, hygiene products, medicines, and legal services. They are also taught Lithuanian language and receive subsidized employment assistance.

The European Union supports Ukrainian integration in member countries when Russia its full-scale invasion. In 2022-2023, the EU provided almost 17 million euros ($19 mn) for the project “Support for war refugees from Ukraine.”

However, it emerged that aid intended for Ukrainians also went to citizens of Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and other countries who have residence permits in Lithuania. Citizens of 43 countries in total received such support. They attended Lithuanian language courses and received subsidized employment.

The European Social Fund Agency supervised the “Support for war refugees from Ukraine” project. The state is the founder of this agency, which administers EU investments in Lithuania.

The Employment Service implemented the project. Refugees were employed in companies, and employers received subsidies for this.

Over $1,1 mn spent on non-Ukrainians will have to be returned. The State Audit Office found that hundreds of arrivals could not receive such support.

According to LRT Radio sources, the fact that aid went to Russian and Belarusian citizens caused fury in government corridors. On 13 May, the agency announced that director Lina Nevinskienė was replaced. Audronė Ališauskienė was appointed as interim director.

“We evaluate this badly. This should not have happened. An internal audit is underway, we are finding out how this could have happened,” Social Security and Labor Vice Minister Rita Grigalienė told LRT Radio. The ministry is a shareholder of the agency.

The State Audit Office says it found that aid was provided to 813 people who are not even Ukrainian citizens.

“We established that 813 people do not meet this target group (Ukrainian war refugees). Among them are Russian citizens. Therefore, we said that it would be inappropriate for the European Commission to finance such expenses,” State Audit Office EU Investment Audit Department head Rasa Virganavičienė told LRT.

Members of the Seimo Audit Committee were briefed on the audit findings last week.

The agency itself rejects criticism and says that the regulations at the time allowed aid to be given to non-Ukrainian citizens.

“The situation arose when evaluating all documents valid at that time. When evaluating documents for additional activities – Lithuanian language teaching and employment subsidies – socially vulnerable persons not necessarily from Ukraine could participate,” ESFA Project Development Department head Jolita Petraitienė told LRT Radio.

These people had the right to live in Lithuania.

The State Audit Office explained that according to the project contract, only Ukrainian citizens could receive aid.

The agency claimed that the number of inappropriate participants is not 813 as the State Audit Office found, but 484.

Nevertheless, the Lithuanian ministry confirmed that the project implementer will be obliged to return the funds within the specified deadline.

The Ministry of Social Security and Labor initiated its own investigation. According to her, they are finding out how this happened. “We are doing everything so that this does not happen again. This should not have happened, it should not have been this way,” she said.