Denmark Won't Grant Refugee Protection to Ukrainians Eligible for Military Service
The move follows an EU proposal to exclude newly arriving military-age men while extending protection for others until March 2028, officials said.
- Danish Immigration Minister Morten Bodskov announced that Denmark will no longer grant refugee status to Ukrainian men aged 23 to 60 subject to mobilization. The change ensures residence rules are not used to avoid conscription.
- Denmark's parliamentary majority adopted the Special Act in 2022 to provide fast legalization for displaced persons. Officials now argue that current residence rules undermine Ukraine's military efforts by allowing men to avoid service.
- Approximately 47,600 Ukrainians currently registered in Denmark under the Special Act will be able to stay. Men exempt from military service will also remain eligible for protection.
- Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Michael O'Flaherty criticized the move as "an example of a broader trend toward restricting protection for the 4.3 million Ukrainians currently displaced in Europe." He noted blanket exclusions may violate human rights.
- Germany, Poland, and Czechia are considering similar restrictions while awaiting EU guidance on the Temporary Protection Directive. Denmark can implement changes independently due to its opt-out from European justice rules secured in the 1990s.
32 Articles
32 Articles
The Danish government plans to change the rules for granting temporary protection to Ukrainians who fled the war. Now, men aged 23 to 60 who are fit to fight will no longer be able to obtain it. The government announced this in a press release, adding that Ukrainians will no longer be able to abuse their temporary residence to avoid military conscription. The European Commission also wants to introduce the same change.
Ukrainian men fleeing conscription will soon no longer be able to apply for special refugee status in the Netherlands and other EU member states. European Commissioner Magnus Brunner (Migration) proposed this on Friday. There will be no consequences for men who are already in the EU.
The EU Commission wants to make it more difficult for Ukrainian men of vulnerable age to access simplified protection in the European Union. Those who are not supposed to leave Ukraine should have significantly worse chances of staying in Germany and other EU countries in the future.
The EU Commission plans to tighten the admission rules for Ukrainian men between 23 and 60 years of age. They would then have to apply for asylum.
Denmark will no longer offer temporary protection to Ukrainian male refugees aged 23 to 60, the Kyiv Independent and Unian media outlets reported.
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