Netherlands Extends Temporary Protection for Ukrainians Until March 2027, EU Council Approves

The Italian-language Visit Ukraine site says that temporary protection for Ukrainians in the Netherlands was extended until March 2027, and that the Council of the European Union approved the extension in July 2025.

“Germany and other EU states are pressing to keep men subject to conscription in Ukraine”

DIE WELT

It adds that from 1 October 2025, refugees from Ukraine in the Netherlands must pay €244,22 per month for housing instead of €105, and it frames the change as part of a government policy to balance conditions for asylum applicants from different countries.

DIE WELT

The same source says temporary protection gives rights in 2025 including residence, work, medical assistance, education, and financial assistance, and it states that the protection term was automatically extended until 4 March 2027.

It also describes a Netherlands application process that includes registering with a municipality, getting a stamp from the Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND), and receiving an O-document as official confirmation of temporary protection status.

The source states that Ukrainians with refugee status in the Netherlands in 2025 can remain legally in the country and enjoy corresponding rights, including for Ukrainian citizens who resided in Ukraine before 24 February 2022 and for family members such as a husband or wife and minor children regardless of citizenship.

In a Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung analysis titled “Bridges to Fortress Europe: Toward Regulated Immigration in the European Union,” the author says the term “Fortress Europe” was coined in the early 1990s to describe restrictive asylum and immigration policies combining restrictive visa policies, tighter border controls, and sanctions against carriers.

The piece argues that “as of today the fortress is standing and will become even more extended,” and it describes the EU’s external border protection as covering “over 2,000 kilometers, i.e., about 15% of its land borders.”

Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung

It states that “Currently, there are 102 countries whose citizens require a visa to enter the European Union,” and it says the visa requirement covers “the entire African continent” and “all Middle Eastern countries (with the exception of Israel).”

The analysis contrasts visa-exemption regimes for Venezuela and Ukraine, saying that “within 90 days of entering the Schengen area, Venezuelan and Ukrainian citizens may apply for international protection in any EU country of their choice.”

It also claims that this would amount to a “stunning de facto reintroduction of the ‘free choice’ model for asylum seekers,” citing Daniel Thym in the text.

Die WELT reports that EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen wants to restrict the admission of war refugees from Ukraine into the European Union, and it says she hinted at a proposal in a letter to European heads of state and government ahead of an EU summit on Thursday.

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Visit Ukraine

The article says the EU Commission will propose to extend temporary protection for people fleeing the war in Ukraine, but that “the scope, however, should be restricted so that the extension does not undermine Ukraine's ability to defend itself.”

It adds that details of the planned proposal were not named, but it says it is considered likely that men could be treated differently, after Germany and other EU states pressed to keep men subject to conscription in Ukraine.

Die WELT states that at a meeting of EU interior ministers in early June, Germany and other member states advocated making it harder for able-bodied men from Ukraine to be admitted to the Union, and it says a proposal to exempt 23- to 60-year-olds from the admission directive found broad support.

The report also quotes Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) saying, "I asked him to ensure that these young men stay in the country, because they are needed there and not in Germany."