BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union on Friday moved to prolong temporary protection status for millions of people who have fled the war in Ukraine, but not for new arrivals who would be eligible to serve in the armed forces.Ukraine is desperate to boost the size of its fighting force more than four years into its full-scale war with Russia. It’s estimated to have suffered around 600,000 military casualties. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in February that 55,000 troops have died and many are missing.More than 4.4 million Ukrainians have been welcomed into the EU since 2022. Most are living in Germany and Poland. They’ve been given temporary residency permits and support, including accommodation or help to get housing, social welfare benefits, medical care and access to schools.The system is due to expire in March 2027, but the European Commission is proposing that it be extended by a year.
Ukraine has been pressing the bloc to tighten the rules, and EU Migration Commissioner Magnus Brunner said that “temporary protection should not be granted to newly arriving persons who are not allowed to leave Ukraine because of their military obligations under Ukrainian law.”
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