The European Union will give temporary protection to Ukrainian citizens fleeing the war until "at least March 2024", the European Commissioner for the Interior, Ylva Johansson, announced yesterday.
The European temporary protection directive was adopted 20 years ago, after the Balkan wars, but had never been used. Until the Russian invasion of Ukraine and on March 4, Brussels activated this legislation, which allows Ukrainians to directly receive a residence permit of between one and three years, access to health care and housing. They also receive a card that recognizes their right to work in the EU, without the need to go through the longer and more complicated process of applying for asylum. The program has a temporary vocation. Brussels, which does not need to consult the governments to extend the activation of the directive, can keep it operational for a total of three years.
There are currently 4.2 million Ukrainian citizens enjoying temporary protection in the EU. It is suspected and known that many of them have returned to their country, but they have not withdrawn for fear of needing protection again, when in theory they should do so since the aid is designed for the refugees present in the countries of the club , and not having clear figures on the situation makes it difficult to provide aid.
"Many people are afraid of being erased because they may suddenly have to flee again, and I understand it perfectly," acknowledged the European Commissioner for the Interior, Ylva Johansson, who announced changes in the regulations so that they only have to notify that they have been removed. gone, do not unsubscribe from the program.
Attacks like those registered yesterday in Ukraine, where the day began in Kiyv and other cities with a hail of Russian missiles, may cause the flows of arrivals to the EU, in decline since the summer, to intensify again, said the ambassador of Ukraine, before the European Union Vsevolod Chentsov, who thanked the extension of the refugee program until March 2024. “I hope our compatriots return to Ukraine sooner, but it is important that they know that, if they need it, they will have protection here and they are welcome ”.
Access to the labor market for these refugees remains a challenge. Until last July, 6.5 million Ukrainians entered the EU, according to the Frontex agency, mostly women and children, since men between the ages of 18 and 60 are required at the front and are prohibited from leaving Ukraine. . Of these, 4.2 million currently benefit from the protection of the European directive, but only 370,000 of these refugees have found a job. Another 250,000 are listed as job seekers.
To facilitate their access to the labor market, the European Commission yesterday presented a pilot project called EU Talent Pool, a platform to search for work designed for Ukrainian refugees, in which they will be able to upload their CVs and make them available to more than 4,000 employers. , national employment services and private agencies as well as “verified” partners to avoid possible fraud. The website, unlike many national ones, is available in Ukrainian, Russian and English.
The program, in which countries such as Poland or Spain are already participating, already collects more than three million job offers, explained the European Commission, which believes that this "mass of talent" can help the European Union to overcome the problems of labor shortages that exist in many economic sectors.
The EU Talent Tool platform, which operates through the Eures network, offers "quality jobs", emphasized the European Commissioner for Employment, Nicolas Schmit. “The last thing we want is for refugees to be exploited. It is essential that they have access to their labor rights and social protection.”
