The offer of temporary protection to Ukrainian citizens fleeing the war in their country will be extended until 4 March 2027, the Interior Ministry has announced in a press release.

This is in line with a decision by the EU's Foreign Affairs Council, which allows member states to "provide protection to a limited group of people through a swift process that is lighter than the asylum procedure".

The directive was introduced in March 2022, shortly after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, as a means of providing temporary protection to Ukrainian people — and has now been extended until the spring of 2027.

According to current estimates, there are about 4.3 million Ukrainians receiving temporary protection across the EU. In Finland, that figure is about 46,000.

However, the ministry noted in its press release that about 84,000 applications for temporary protection have been submitted to Finnish authorities since March 2022.

"Others are believed to have returned to Ukraine or moved elsewhere in the EU," the ministry said.

The press release added further that the situation in Ukraine remains "unstable and difficult to predict", but that the Finnish Immigration Service Migri estimates that between 8,000 and 12,000 Ukrainian citizens will apply for temporary protection in Finland this year.

"The key factors affecting the number of applicants include possible changes in Ukraine’s military situation, the US policy on Ukraine and Russia, the West’s support for Ukraine, the economic and humanitarian situation in Ukraine, the state of infrastructure and opportunities for education and employment," the ministry noted.

Edit note: Article's main photo updated at 19:04 on 17.7.2025.