In September 2025, the European Union approved the largest number of applications for temporary protection for Ukrainians in the last two years. In particular, 79,205 applications were approved, which is 49% higher than in August. This was reported by Time and patience.
The publication writes that, according to Eurostat data, the rapid increase in applications for temporary protection is due to the Ukrainian government's permission to leave the country for men aged 18 to 22.
As a result, the demographic composition of Ukrainian refugees has changed significantly:
- in September, the share of adult males among refugees increased to 47%;
- For the first time, there were more men than women (their share was 31%);
- the share of minors was 22%.
As of the end of September, 4,3 million Ukrainians were in the European Union with temporary protection status. It is granted to citizens who cannot immediately return to their country, in accordance with the EU Directive on Temporary Protection, which was first applied after the full-scale Russian invasion.
The Council of the EU extended the special protection status for Ukrainians until March 4, 2027. The largest number of Ukrainian citizens seeking protection is in Germany — 1,2 million (28% of the total). Slightly fewer are in Poland — one million people (23,5%).
