EU intends to require certificate of exemption from mobilization from all Ukrainians applying for temporary protection – media
The European Commission is expected to announce significant changes to the directive on temporary protection for war refugees from Ukraine during July of the current year, according to which temporary protection will be granted only to those citizens of Ukraine who hold a special certificate from the Ukrainian authorities attesting that they are not subject to mobilization, Polish publication Rzeczpospolita writes.
"Work on the amendments is nearing completion. Poland supports them," Maciej Duszczyk, Deputy Minister of Interior and Administration of Poland responsible for migration policy, told the publication.
It is noted that the directive is planned to be adopted in July, but it will enter into force only in March 2027.
"The restrictions that will come into force in July will apply not to those who already have temporary protection in EU countries, but to those who would like to apply for it," the deputy minister explains.
The publication notes that Ukraine itself requested the consent of the EU member states for amendments regarding restrictions on the entry of Ukrainian citizens under special rules of temporary protection, and the member states themselves support this.
Duszczyk confirms that the requirements introduced by the European Commission will also apply to Ukrainian women.
It is reported that during the first three months after the lifting of the ban on traveling from Ukraine for young citizens aged 18-22, more than 121,000 Ukrainian men of this age entered Poland from Ukraine, most of whom headed to Germany. Within a few weeks, 50,000 citizens of Ukraine applied for the so-called protected status in Poland. Currently, there are over 218,000 Ukrainian men with the status of foreign citizens of Ukraine aged 18 to 65 in Poland.
Currently, 4.3 million Ukrainians enjoy temporary protection across the EU, with the largest numbers in Germany (1.2 million) and Poland (960,000), according to Eurostat data. Throughout the EU, adult men account for 26.6% of all persons covered by protection, which means approximately 1.15 million Ukrainian men hold this privilege.
Duszczyk notes that for Poland, these changes will mean little, as the country "has already changed its rules for citizens of Ukraine, phasing out the special law, so the changes that the EU wants to introduce do not affect our domestic regulations."
It is reported that last year, in 2025, some 7,008 citizens of Ukraine applied for asylum in Poland, 4,100 of whom were adult men, and protection was granted to 1,518 Ukrainians, including 830 men. In the current year of 2026, as of May 31, out of 992 applications from Ukrainians, 550 were submitted by men of conscription age, but only 78 people received it, including eight adult men.
According to the publication, the Ministry of Interior and Administration of Poland is also finalizing work on an amendment to the Citizenship Act, which will most affect citizens of Ukraine. For years, Ukrainians have been the largest national group applying for Polish citizenship, and currently more than 40,000 Ukrainians hold it. The bill is based on four key changes, one of which involves the introduction of a "loyalty certificate" that a foreigner will have to sign after the completion of the entire procedure, and which should become a deterrent for those who might act against the interests of Poland.
"The loyalty certificate will allow us to deprive of citizenship a person who acted against Polish security or interests, for example, by cooperating with enemies of Poland. Currently, deprivation of Polish citizenship after it has been granted is impossible. Even for those convicted of espionage against Poland," Duszczyk said.
In his turn, President of the Association of Ukrainians in Poland Myroslav Skorka believes that such "loyalty certification" may be unconstitutional. "It introduces something akin to conditional citizenship. We are heading down an absurd path with nationalistic overtones," he said.