GMI Legal Update: European Temporary Protection for Persons Displaced from Ukraine Officially Extended

On October 24, 2023, a formal decision of the Council of the European Union was published in the Official Journal of the EU to extend temporary protection for people displaced from Ukraine due to the armed conflict in Ukraine until March 4, 2025. Link to the decision: here.

In its decision, the Council indicated that approximately 4 million displaced people from Ukraine are currently benefiting from EU temporary protection (in all EU countries) and due to the possible further escalation of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, a further rapid influx of them is likely, which justifies extending the protection for another year.

The extension of European temporary protection does not mean an automatic extension of the rights granted to Ukrainian citizens in Poland by the Polish special law on assistance to Ukrainian citizens in connection with an armed conflict on the territory of this country. In connection with the so-called UKR status. As a rule, the rights arising from the Polish special act – in particular the right to stay legally in Poland – are currently in force until March 4, 2024.

We expect that, as a result of the decision of the EU Council, the Polish Special Act will also be amended in the coming months and the rights arising from it will be extended until March 4, 2025.