According to the Federal Ministry of the Interior, the number of Ukrainians currently residing in Germany, who are men aged between 23 and 60, stood at exactly 265,804 as of May 31st. This demographic is the group that would be affected by the planned abolition of the automatic protection status. Previously, the public had only been informed of the total number of men between 18 and 63 years old, which had reached 349,520 as of March 9th, marking an increase of approximately 52,000 over twelve months. At that time, 500,393 Ukrainian women aged 18 to 63 were also living in Germany.
The European Union Commission, following a request from the Ukrainian government, intends to terminate the automatic protection status for Ukrainian men in the 23 to 60 age bracket. Approval from member states is still required, though German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt (CSU) has already publicly stated his support for the policy change.
The changes follow the declaration of war in Ukraine by Russia in 2022, which implemented martial law in the country. This included a prohibition on travel for all male conscripts between the ages of 23 and 60; however, many managed to leave the country despite this ban. Currently, in the Ukraine itself, front-line duties can only be imposed on men aged 25 and older.
