The European Commission said the 4 million Ukrainians living in the EU should have the right to extend until March 2027, while calling for the promotion of voluntariness.

According to the European Commission's proposal, the temporary protection status of Ukrainians will be extended until March 2027 after the full invasion in February 2022. EU member states must approve the expansion applicable to 4.3 million Ukrainians, one-third of whom are children.

While calling for an extension, the Commission also urged the EU government to go beyond temporary solutions by making it easier for Ukrainians to obtain other types of residence permits, such as work and student visas. It said the government should set up plans to promote voluntary returns in Ukraine, including supporting exploratory visits.

EU Interior Commissioner Magnus Brunner stressed that all returns are voluntary and that the termination of temporary protection of identity would be a decision made by EU member states and Ukraine “once we have a stable situation”.

The proposals are because the Ukrainian government outlines the “Solunity Hub” plan – Community Center, which will provide citizens with information on returning home and inclusion in their host society. The first Unity Hub will open in Berlin this summer, while others plan to be in Prague and Alicante.

"After the war, we urgently need the Ukrainians to return home. We need to develop the Ukrainian economy, we need to transform Ukraine into a prosperous economy and develop democracy," Ukraine Deputy Prime Minister Oleksiy Chernyshov told reporters.

Chenekhof said that if Ukraine achieves the “accelerable” goal of double its economy in the post-war decade, it could require an additional 4 million people in the labor market. He added: “Only a strong economy can pave the way for Ukraine’s future success and successfully integrate into the EU.”

The proposals follow uncertain talks in Istanbul, with Russia and Ukraine reaching consensus only on prisoner exchanges, while Moscow refuses to compromise on the goal of its biggest war, which includes recognition of its claimed four Ukrainian regions, but is not fully occupied.

"The results we get with these conversations are not those that can be achieved," Chernyshov pointed out. He said the UN IOM and UNHCR are developing a voluntary return program, and now every Ukrainian family in Europe faces questions: "How will they return home? What are the possibilities and suggestions for their work? Where do they live? Where do their children go to school. What are the suggestions for the health care system.

Since 2022, the commission is releasing 4 billion euros to support the EU's Ukrainians for 15 billion euros.

The EU has activated the March 2022 temporary protection directive for Ukrainians in unprecedented support. The temporary status has been extended several times, but several EU governments have begun to explore other options.

In the Czech Republic, Ukrainians earn at least 440,000 Czech crowns (£14,900, €17,700), resided for two years and are now able to apply for a long-term residence permit. In Poland, Ukrainians with temporary protection at least one year can apply for a three-year residence permit, although they will lose certain benefits such as free health care and college tuition waivers.

Norway is outside the EU but runs a similar temporary protection scheme, which announced last year that it is strengthening the rules so that Ukrainians from areas considered safe will be considered any other asylum seekers without automatically granting hospitalization.

Support for the Ukrainians in the EU remains high, but has disappeared since the early days of the invasion. By February 2024, it is estimated that 71% of the people surveyed in Europe support Ukrainian refugees, compared with 88% immediately after the invasion.