In Europe, 4.3 million Ukrainian refugees are under temporary protection, and this number is growing
By the end of June 2024, there were 4.3 million people in EU countries who had received temporary protection due to Russian aggression. Most of them are in Germany, Poland, and the Czech Republic.
As of June 30, 2024, approximately 4.3 million people in the European Union had received temporary protection after being forced to flee Ukraine due to ongoing Russian aggression.
These refugees are not EU citizens and have primarily found refuge in Germany, Poland, and the Czech Republic, according to Eurostat.
The largest number of refugees was hosted by Germany—1,347,525 people, which accounts for 31.2% of the total number of people under temporary protection in the European Union. Poland provided refuge to 965,775 Ukrainian citizens (22.4%), and the Czech Republic to 360,775 (8.4%).
Compared to May 2024, the number of temporary protection recipients in Germany increased by 15,010 people (+1.1%), in Poland by 12,520 people (+1.3%), and in the Czech Republic by 4,370 people (+1.2%).
At the same time, a decrease in the number of refugees was recorded in only two EU countries: Estonia by 3.7% (-1,245 people) and France by 0.1% (-80 people).
Relative to the overall population of EU countries, the highest number of refugees per thousand residents was recorded in the Czech Republic (33.1 per thousand), Lithuania (27.2 per thousand), and Poland (26.4 per thousand). On average, across the European Union, this figure was 9.6 per thousand people.
It is notable that over 98% of all who received temporary protection are Ukrainian citizens. Among them, adult women make up about 45.6%, children 32.4%, and adult men 22.0% of the total number of refugees.
It is important to note that on June 25, 2024, the European Council decided to extend temporary protection until March 4, 2026, due to the war in Ukraine and the need to support displaced persons.
Earlier, it was reported that the Supreme Court of Israel invalidated a district court decision that required the Ministry of Internal Affairs to issue 2A5 visas to all Ukrainians under protection, allowing for other means of legalizing their stay.