Anticipating the forthcoming debates within the EU on the future of the Temporary Protection Directive, Michael O'Flaherty, the Council of Europe’s Commissioner for Human Rights, published a report on Tuesday 12 May in which he highlighted the situation of Ukrainian refugees in Europe.
Extended until March 2027, this status is threatened with “gradual elimination”, which could leave “the most vulnerable exposed”.
A reduction in assistance is already perceptible in some countries, warns the Commissioner, who is also concerned about “rising anti-Ukrainian sentiment, sometimes fuelled by populist politics”.
“Every person displaced by the war in Ukraine should be guaranteed a secure legal status and access to rights for as long as protection is needed”, he concludes.
“The choices made in Europe in the coming months will define the future of millions of Ukrainians. It is time to reengage the welcome and generosity that was so evident in 2022”.
Link to the Commissioner’s text: https://aeur.eu/f/lvi (Original version in French by Véronique Leblanc)