German politician criticises EU plans on temporary protection for Ukrainians

German Green Party politician Anton Hofreiter has said that the European Commission's plans to end the automatic granting of temporary protection to Ukrainian men of conscription age are misguided.

Source: ntv, as reported by European Pravda

Details: "I stand up for the right to conscientious objection," Hofreiter said.

He believes that no one should be forced to take up arms if it goes against their conscience.

Under European Commission plans, Ukrainian men of conscription age who have recently entered the EU would have to apply for asylum instead of receiving automatic protection.

Background:

• The European Commission has proposed to extend temporary protection for Ukrainians until 4 March 2028, but not to grant it to newly arrived Ukrainian citizens who are prohibited from leaving Ukraine due to military service obligations.
• The EU plans to decide on the status of Ukrainian refugees in July 2026 or in September if no agreement had been reached by then.
• The Temporary Protection Directive introduced in March 2022 has given millions of Ukrainians access to a range of rights in the EU without overloading asylum systems. Initially designed as a short-term emergency measure, it has been repeatedly extended and is currently in force until 4 March 2027.

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