Migration Policy Centre - MPC

The Russian invasion of Ukraine began on 24 February 2022 and created a large-scale displacement. To protect Ukrainians fleeing the invasion, the Council unanimously adopted the Council Implementing Decision (EU) 2022/382 of 4 March 2022 giving those fleeing war in Ukraine the right to temporary protection. This was the first time the Council Directive 2001/55/EC (Temporary Protection Directive – TPD) has been activated to respond to the large-scale arrival of displaced persons fleeing a conflict zone. According to Council Implementing Decision 2022/382, stateless persons, and third-country nationals who benefited from international protection or equivalent national protection in Ukraine before 24 February 2022 and who have been displaced from Ukraine on or after 24 February 2022 and their family members would be eligible to receive the temporary protection status in the Member States. This means not all non-Ukrainian refugees and asylum seekers who are forced to flee Ukraine will be eligible for temporary protection in the EU. The fact that the Council made a clear distinction between Ukrainian nationals and other third-country nationals and stateless persons who were legally residing in Ukraine in the designation of persons who will receive temporary protection in the Union has been widely criticized and even deemed to be discriminatory (Carrera et al.). This seminar will look at EU asylum acquis applicable to those that were holding refugee and asylum seeker status in Ukraine and which legal status and rights they enjoy in the EU and the different Member States. In doing so, it will also outline the challenges that non-Ukrainian refugees and asylum seekers fleeing Ukraine face in accessing territory, services, and rights in the Union.

The link to the seminar will be provided upon registration.