Temporary protection should be rolled back for Ukrainian men of military age wanting to shelter in Europe, while EU visas should also be refused to Russians coming for “shopping weekends and fancy trips”, Sweden’s migration minister, Johan Forssell, said on Thursday. EU ministers heard the proposals at a Luxembourg meeting. After Russia’s 2022 invasion, the EU activated a “temporary protection directive” granting residency, work and welfare rights to manage large-scale arrivals of displaced Ukrainians.
“It is essential for us to provide Ukrainians with protection, but at the same time the war needs to be fought and won,” said Forssell. “For that to happen, it is essential that more men stay in Ukraine and fight.” Any restrictions should apply only to new arrivals seeking temporary protection status, not to those already covered by the scheme, he said. The European Commission would need to propose any extension or modification of the scheme, which must then be approved by EU countries. More than 4.33m people who have fled Ukraine currently receive protection under the directive, according to Eurostat data. Most are in Germany, followed by Poland and the Czech Republic.
A group of member states has meanwhile demanded the EU make it harder for Russians to holiday in Europe. The issue was raised in a letter by Poland, Norway, the Baltic states and another nine members of the free-movement Schengen area at the Luxembourg meeting on Thursday. Despite wartime restrictions, more than 470,000 tourist Schengen visas were issued to Russian citizens in 2025, many multi-entry, according to the letter.
