Many ideas regarding future asylum provision for Ukrainian refugees in EU – Cyprus deputy minister

Regarding the future asylum for Ukrainian refugees, many ideas are currently circulating and will be discussed at a meeting of the EU Home Affairs Council, though no decisions are expected to be made at this time.

Nicholas Ioannides, Deputy Minister of Interior for Migration of Cyprus, which holds the EU presidency, announced this to journalists upon his arrival at the EU Home Affairs Council meeting in Luxembourg on Thursday.

Answering a question on whether men of conscription age would be excluded from the category of persons eligible for temporary asylum in EU countries, he said: "Well, there are several ideas. We have not made any decision yet, and that is why we are here today to discuss different views. Again, no decisions will be made, but at least the member states will express their opinion, and we will see how it moves forward."

Commenting at the request of journalists on the possibility of introducing a geographical differentiation as a criterion for granting asylum, as practiced by Switzerland, Ioannides said that "this issue has also been put on the agenda to listen to the states, so they can exchange opinions and ideas to provide recommendations to the Commission regarding the document they are publishing." "So, perhaps this is one of the ideas, and we would like to listen to other countries as well," the Cyprus deputy minister concluded.

As is known, the Temporary Protection Directive for Ukrainians expires in the spring of 2027. An official decision on whether and in what form this mechanism will be extended is expected in July.