EU tightens asylum rules: what changes for Ukrainian refugees

The European Union is tightening its asylum rules by announcing a new list of “safe countries.” Find out more about how these changes will affect Ukrainians under temporary protection in the EU and why human rights activists criticize this decision

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On April 16, the European Union announced the tightening of asylum rules by publishing an updated list of “safe countries”. This decision is aimed at speeding up the processing of migrants' applications and facilitating their return to their homeland.

Let's take a closer look at how these changes will affect Ukrainian refugees.

New EU migration decisions: who is affected

The list of “safe countries” includes Kosovo, Bangladesh, Colombia, Egypt, India, Morocco, and Tunisia. Citizens of these countries will now undergo the asylum application procedure on an individual basis, which should shorten the timeframe for decision-making. At the same time, there will be no automatic refusal to grant protection.

The European Commission emphasizes that this decision was made in response to a public request from member states to strengthen control over migration flows and speed up the deportation of persons who have no grounds to stay in the EU.

Ukraine is an exception

Although Ukraine is a candidate country for EU membership, the new rules do not apply to Ukrainian citizens. Because of the armed conflict, our country is not considered a “safe place,” and temporary protection for Ukrainians in the EU remains in effect until at least March 2026.

As migration expert Andriy Gaidutsky explains, there is no need to fear changes: “As long as the temporary protection directive is in force, Ukrainians are protected. The issue of status review may arise only after the expiration of this directive and if the situation in Ukraine improves significantly.”

The proposed changes have already been harshly criticized by human rights organizations. EuroMed Rights stated that some states recognized as safe have recorded human rights violations, which casts doubt on the fairness of such a decision.

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What are the reasons for the changes?

The reasons for the new list are multifaceted:

- A response to global trends in restricting migration, initiated, in particular, by Donald Trump's policy in the United States.

- The desire to prevent political instability in the EU, as the migration crisis contributes to the growing popularity of far-right parties.

- The steady growth in the number of migrants, which requires clearer regulation of migration flows.

Andriy Gaidutsky draws an interesting analogy: “Just as new traffic rules were introduced with the growth of the number of cars in the 90s, so with mass migration there is a need for new regulatory mechanisms.”

Norway, which is not a member of the EU but has implemented its own changes, is worth mentioning separately: the country has expanded the list of safe regions of Ukraine to 14 oblasts. Now, residents of these areas can be granted asylum only on an individual basis, and the requirements for protection have become stricter.

According to the expert, this step is explained not by the desire to restrict rights, but by the desire to provide support to the most vulnerable categories of the population.

An important reminder! It is important for Ukrainians not only to follow the news on EU visa policy, but also to be prepared for changes. Visit Ukraine's lawyers can always help you with complex migration issues - our team specializes in legalization, residence permits, permanent residence, temporary protection, and other migration issues.

So, if you have any questions about staying abroad, please contact Visit Ukraine specialists!

We remind you! Temporary protection for Ukrainians in the EU has been extended until 2026, but can we be calm? Are changes, restrictions, and maybe even deportations possible? Read the answers to the hottest questions about status, risks, and future scenarios in an interview with Anna Fedoryshyna, a migration lawyer at Visit Ukraine.

Photo: © Kai Pfaffenbach / Reuters

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