Number of Ukrainians under temporary protection in EU at 4.3M – Eurostat

11.03.2024 07:25

Ukrinform

On January 31, 2024, 4.3 million people who fled Ukraine as a consequence of the Russian invasion on February 24, 2022, had temporary protection status in the EU.

According to Ukrinform, this is evidenced by data provided by Eurostat.

It is noted that the main EU countries hosting beneficiaries of temporary protection from Ukraine were Germany (1,270,150 people; 29.5% of total EU), Poland (951,560; 22.1%), and Czechia (381,190; 8.9%).

“Compared with the end of December 2023, the largest absolute increases in the number of beneficiaries were observed in Germany (+18 905; +1.5%), Czechia (+8 155; +2.2%), and Spain (+2 830; +1.5%),” the report says.

The number of beneficiaries decreased in five EU countries, namely Italy (-18 125 people; -11.2%), Poland (-3 235; -0.3%), Estonia (-225; -0.6%), France (-205; -0.3%), and Luxembourg (-10; -0.2%).

On 31 January 2024, Ukrainian citizens represented over 98% of the beneficiaries of temporary protection. Adult women made up almost half (46.1%) of temporary protection beneficiaries in the EU. Children accounted for almost one-third (33.2%), while adult men comprised slightly more than a fifth (20.7%) of the total.

As reported, after Russia's military invasion of Ukraine, the EU activated the so-called Temporary Protection Directive, which granted Ukrainians fleeing Russian bombs the right to stay legally in the EU and receive basic social services, including healthcare, education and the right to employment. More than 4 million Ukrainian citizens, mostly women and children, have benefited from temporary protection in the EU. This document will be valid until March 2025, with the possibility of an extension.