Fewer benefits – more checks: what Europe is preparing for refugees from Ukraine
5 June 16:42
The European Union is beginning to develop a coordinated plan to support the return of Ukrainian citizens to their homeland, although the temporary protection regime for Ukrainian refugees will be extended until March 2027. According to preliminary data, Brussels is recommending the creation of so-called “unity centers” – structures that will provide counseling and logistical support to Ukrainians considering returning.
The first such centers are planned to be opened in Germany and Spain. At the same time, some EU countries are already taking measures to force Ukrainians to leave their territory. How has the policy of foreign countries towards Ukrainian refugees changed and what can it lead to?
Tolls, cancellation of housing benefits and other inconveniences
Temporary protection in the European Union is granted to 4.5 million Ukrainians, but amid ceasefire negotiations and a possible truce, the EU is beginning to think about what to do with Ukrainian refugees. At a meeting of the EU’s Home Affairs Council in June, they will consider whether to extend the program to protect Ukrainians in the event of a truce.
“We are considering various options, including extending or not extending temporary protection depending on the developments – transition to national status for work, study or family reasons, as well as support for those returning home to Ukraine,” said Marcus Lammert, the European Commission’s spokesperson for Home Affairs, at a briefing.
At the same time, the Temporary Protection Directive has been extended in EU member states until March 4, 2026, which means that there will be no legal grounds for its abolition before that date. But in some countries, completely different rules have begun to apply to Ukrainians.
Since May 1, the Czech Republic has stopped granting Ukrainians a special long-term residence permit (ZDP). This is for those who have adapted to the country, found a job, learned the language and decided to stay. Almost 397,000 Ukrainians enjoy temporary protection in the country.
Since May, the lives of 35,700 Ukrainians in Estonia have changed. In Tallinn, they stopped receiving reimbursement for housing and translators. However, it is expected that the same rules will be applied in other regions of Estonia. The Estonian authorities also canceled free public transportation for refugees who are not registered residents of Tallinn.
Free travel for Ukrainian refugees in the Hungarian capital will be valid until June 30, 2025. This applies to all types of public transportation, except for the 100E route (express to the airport), funicular, tourist trams and water transport.
In Romania, where about 180,000 Ukrainians with temporary protection status currently live, some benefits are also expected to be cut. But this will happen after the presidential elections. In the meantime, the Romanian government has extended humanitarian assistance to Ukrainians who have fled the war zone and are in difficult circumstances until December 31, 2025, and has maintained all payments.
From the threat of deportation to financial incentives
Despite this, many governments want some Ukrainians to leave their countries. Due to the lack of places, Dutch municipalities are forced to deny asylum to Ukrainians, and more than 120,000 refugees have come to the Netherlands, almost 94,000 of them living in municipal centers.
The “honeymoon period” for Ukrainians in Poland is over, where, according to official statistics, at least 2.5 million Ukrainians live, about 7% of the country’s population. Cases of discrimination and hostile attitudes toward Ukrainians have become more frequent in Poland, as reported by refugees themselves.
Ukrainians staying in Poland, even legally, may face the threat of deportation if they violate current legislation, including migration rules or other laws. We have taken the matter very seriously. They have intensified checks on overstaying visas or residence cards, working without a permit or under unofficial conditions, and providing false or incomplete information when applying for documents.
Ukrainians who have committed a criminal offense or a serious administrative violation are not treated with respect – this may be grounds for deportation. Those whose behavior poses a threat to public order are also at risk of deportation.
Despite this, Poland continues to support Ukrainian refugees. Ukrainians can obtain a PESEL UKR number – a temporary protection status. It entitles them to legal residence and social benefits in Poland until September 30, 2025. After that date, the status of Ukrainians with this number is still uncertain.
Only a few countries take the desperate step of offering money for returning to Ukraine. For example, Switzerland has decided to pay 500 Swiss francs to adults and 250 to minors for returning. But no more than 2,000 francs per family. Starting January 1, 2026, Sweden will significantly increase financial assistance for migrants who decide to return to their countries of origin – from the current 900 euros to 32 thousand euros per adult.
With each year of war, fewer people want to return
According to sociologists, on the one hand, Ukraine will welcome the return of refugees, but on the other hand, those who have already lived abroad for three years have assimilated and are not eager to return. This is especially true of those who have nowhere to return to – who have lost their homes, jobs, and loved ones. And this is quite understandable. And even the reduction of benefits in some countries will not make Ukrainians buy a ticket back.
“Yes, there are countries that deprive people of certain benefits, and there are those that leave everything as it was. But this is not the EU’s policy, but the policy of individual countries. If Ukrainians are faced with unbearable conditions somewhere, they will move to another country where benefits are available. Unfortunately, the longer the war lasts, the fewer Ukrainian refugees will want to return. If peace is concluded today, about a quarter will return immediately. But every year there are fewer of them. If in 2022, about 80% of refugees planned to return, now there are barely 40% of them,” says
"Komersant Ukrainian" yevhen Holovakha, director of the Institute of Sociology of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine.
“We should not expect a massive return of Ukrainians home, no matter what obstacles are created. Only those who have not adapted abroad, have not found a job, have not learned the language and have housing in Ukraine will return. There is work in Ukraine, there are many vacancies, but salaries are lower than, say, in Poland, and food prices are higher, the sociologist notes. However, it should be understood that foreigners will not tolerate freeloaders; they will not touch those who work and do not break the law.
“We have an example – five years of war in the Balkans, after which 30% of refugees returned. We are still in the third year of the war, and there is a chance that 40% will return, but if the war drags on, we can only count on 30%. The situation is getting worse every year. And we have another problem: reuniting men with their families who remained abroad after the war,” emphasizes Yevhen Holovakha.
According to the sociologist, it is the policy towards Ukrainian refugees that the European Union will choose that will determine how many will return and when, and how many will go to seek happiness in the world.
Author: Alla Dunina
