4.41 million people who fled Ukraine were under temporary protection in the EU at the end of June.

The number of beneficiaries increased by 24,380 in one month, with Germany, Poland, and the Czech Republic hosting almost 60% of the total. At the same time, the number of new decisions granting temporary protection decreased by 16.2% in the second quarter compared to the first three months of the year.

Approximately 4.41 million non-EU citizens who fled Ukraine after the outbreak of Russia's aggression were under temporary protection in the European Union as of June 30, 2026. The number increased by 24,380, or 0.6%, compared to the end of May, with increases recorded in 24 of the 27 member states.

In brief

As of June 30, 4.41 million people who fled Ukraine were benefiting from temporary protection in the EU, 24,380 more than at the end of May.

Germany hosted 1.286 million beneficiaries, Poland 961,170, and the Czech Republic 390,810. Together, the three countries represented almost 60% of the total in the EU.

In terms of population, the highest presence of beneficiaries was in the Czech Republic, with 35.8 per 1,000 inhabitants, followed by Slovakia with 27.2 and Cyprus with 26.8, compared to the EU average of 9.8.

In the second quarter of 2026, EU states issued 138,045 new decisions granting temporary protection, 16.2% fewer than in the first quarter.

Almost one-third of the beneficiaries under protection at the end of June were minors, while adult women represented 43.4%, and adult men 27%.

Germany continued to host the largest number of people under temporary protection after fleeing Ukraine, with 1,286,230 beneficiaries at the end of June, equivalent to 29.2% of the total in the Union. Poland had 961,170 beneficiaries, or 21.8% of the total, and the Czech Republic 390,810, representing 8.9%.

The distribution, however, looks different when the number of beneficiaries is reported relative to the population of each state. The Czech Republic had the highest proportion in the Union, with 35.8 people under temporary protection for every 1,000 inhabitants, followed by Slovakia with 27.2 and Cyprus with 26.8. The average for the entire Union was 9.8 beneficiaries per 1,000 inhabitants.

The total number continued to grow in June, but the evolution was not uniform across states. The largest increases in absolute numbers were recorded in Italy, where the number of beneficiaries rose by 4,115, in the Czech Republic by 3,835, and in Germany by 2,960. Poland, on the other hand, recorded a decrease of 6,335 people, while reductions in Belgium and Ireland were much smaller, at 35 and 15 people, respectively.

Monthly data on the number of people under protection should not be confused with the number of new decisions granted in the same period. In June, member states issued 42,820 new temporary protection decisions, 3,920 more than in May, even though the quarterly evolution shows a decrease compared to the beginning of the year.

In the entire second quarter, 138,045 new decisions were issued, 26,760 fewer than in the first quarter, representing a decrease of 16.2%. The largest reductions were in Germany, with 21,010 fewer decisions, Poland, with 11,325 fewer, and the Czech Republic, with a decrease of 1,200. In contrast, Slovakia recorded 2,365 more decisions than in the previous quarter, Bulgaria 2,215, and Greece 1,315.

The evolution shows that the total number of people under protection can increase even during a period when fewer new decisions are issued. The total at the end of a month reflects the people who maintain their status at that moment, while statistics on decisions measure new grants of protection over a specific period.

Since the beginning of the war, EU states have granted temporary protection to a total of approximately 7.2 million people who fled Ukraine. Poland issued 2.165 million of these decisions, Germany 1.638 million, and the Czech Republic approximately 773,000, with the three countries together representing 63.8% of all decisions granted in the Union since March 2022.

The structure of the population currently under protection remains different from the initial picture of displacements in the first months of the war. At the end of June, adult women represented 43.4% of the total, minors 29.6%, and adult men 27%. Among adult women, 53.8% were between 35 and 64 years old.

In the flow of new beneficiaries, there are also changes from month to month. In June, adult men represented 36.7% of the people granted temporary protection, 2.6 percentage points less than in May, while the proportion of adult women remained at 41.9%. Minors accounted for 21.4% of new decisions, 2.7 percentage points more than in the previous month.

Over 98.5% of people under temporary protection at the end of June were Ukrainian citizens. Among other beneficiaries were 11,840 Russian citizens, 4,715 Nigerian citizens, and 4,375 Azerbaijani citizens, individuals who were in Ukraine and fell into the eligible categories for protection after the outbreak of the war.

Eurostat data also provides a distinct picture of unaccompanied minors. From the information available for member states, Austria had granted the most temporary protection statuses to unaccompanied minors from Ukraine since March 2022, with 3,770 cases, followed by the Netherlands with 2,220 and Denmark with 2,045. In relation to the total number of minors granted protection, the highest proportion of unaccompanied minors was in Croatia, with 15.9%.

Comparisons between states should be made with caution, as the way beneficiaries are registered and removed from records differs. Eurostat warns that deregistration procedures can produce significant decreases from one month to another, and some states do not include all categories in their monthly statistics. In France, for example, minors are generally not included in the figures regarding temporary protection, and data for Spain, Greece, Ireland, and Cyprus may include some individuals whose status was no longer valid.

Temporary protection was activated in March 2022 for people displaced after the Russian invasion of Ukraine and provides immediate access to protection without each beneficiary having to go through the regular asylum procedure. The mechanism is intended for situations of mass influx where national asylum systems could be under excessive pressure.

The protection period has been extended until March 4, 2027. At the end of June 2026, the mechanism continued to cover over 4.4 million people in the European Union, while new decisions granted in the second quarter decreased compared to the beginning of the year.

Statistics are provided to Eurostat by the ministries of the interior, justice ministries, and national immigration authorities. Monthly data on beneficiaries are collected voluntarily and may be revised later, while quarterly reporting of new protection decisions is mandatory.

https://2eu.brussels/ro/news/441-milioane-de-persoane-care-au-fugit-din-ucraina-se-aflau-sub-protectie-temporara-in-ue-la-sfarsitul-lunii-iunie