People fleeing Ukraine granted residence, working rights in EU
The European Council on Saturday unanimously adopted a decision to give people fleeing Ukraine temporary protection in member countries –– including residence and working rights, medical assistance and access to education for children. The decision means countries in the EU can provide “immediate and collective” protection to refugees, without needing to review individual applications.
The temporary protection will initially last for one year, but could be extended beyond that time period. It could also be ended early if a “safe and durable return” to Ukraine is possible. Along with Ukrainians, third country nationals and stateless persons residing in Ukraine could also be eligible for the protection, according to the European Council's statement.
The decision comes as large parts of Ukrainian territory are involved in armed conflict, following Russia’s invasion of the country in late February. The Netherlands announced that it was readying 50,000 placements for refugees from Ukraine. Ukrainians do not immediately need to apply for asylum in the Netherlands, because they are already allowed to stay without a visa for a certain amount of time.
