German Interior Minister Calls for Denying EU Protection to Ukrainian Men of Conscription Age

German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt has called for a change in EU policy regarding temporary protection for Ukrainian men of conscription age. In an interview with the newspaper "Welt", he stated that the current automatic granting of protection under the EU Temporary Protection Directive should be revised.

According to Dobrindt, avoiding military service alone cannot justify protection. He compared the situation to Syrian citizens, who receive protection only after individual asylum application assessments. The minister emphasized that Ukrainian men of conscription age should still have the option to file individual asylum applications.

If such individuals no longer qualify for temporary protection and have no other legal basis to stay in Germany, they would be required to leave the country. Dobrindt argued that this approach is politically justified given Germany's military support for Ukraine. "Politically, it is appropriate with regard to a country that we are significantly supporting militarily to resist Putin's war of aggression," he said, adding that this cannot be compared with the civil war in Syria.

Currently, the EU Temporary Protection Directive provides Ukrainian refugees with the right to stay, work, and access social services without undergoing individual asylum procedures. Dobrindt's proposal remains a political initiative, and any changes would require approval at the EU level.