The most recent figures from the European Office for Statistics, Eurostat, have revealed that by May 31, 2023, more than four million non-European citizens had sought refuge in EU countries due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and the same were granted temporary protection statuses.
Data show that the primary host countries for these beneficiaries from Ukraine were Germany, accommodating 1,111,590 individuals, which is 28 per cent of the total, followed by Poland with 991,375 individuals (25 per cent), and Czechia with 340,090 individuals (eight per cent), SchengenVisaInfo.com reports.
The same source points out that comparing the end of April 2023 to May 31, 2023, the number of beneficiaries of temporary protection from Ukraine in the EU increased by 57,300 individuals, representing a growth rate of 1.4 per cent.
In this regard, the countries that experienced the most significant increases in the number of beneficiaries were as follows:
- Germany – 21,355 individuals (two per cent)
- Czechia – 8,240 (2.5 per cent)
- Romania – with 3,825 individuals (three per cent)
However, there were a few countries where the number of people under temporary protection decreased during this period. Poland witnessed a decline of 3,660 individuals (-0.4 per cent decrease) in the number of temporary protection beneficiaries.
Similarly, Portugal experienced a decrease of 470 individuals (-0.8 per cent), while France saw a drop of 170 individuals (-0.3 per cent). Estonia had a minor decline of 30 individuals (-0.1 per cent) regarding the number of beneficiaries of temporary protection.
Further data from Eurostat show that in May of this year, the countries with the highest number of total temporary protection beneficiaries per thousand people, compared to the population of each EU member state, were Czechia (32.3), Estonia (26.4), Poland (26.3), Lithuania (24.9), Bulgaria (23.1), and Latvia (22.5). At the EU level, the average was 9.0 temporary protection beneficiaries per thousand people.
During the same period, Ukrainian citizens accounted for 98 per cent of the beneficiaries of temporary protection in the EU.
Adult women comprised almost half (46.6 per cent) of the temporary protection beneficiaries in the EU, with the majority falling within the age group of 35-64. Meanwhile, children represented slightly over one-third (34.6 per cent) of the total beneficiaries, while adult men comprised less than a fifth (18.8 per cent) of the total.
>> Almost 4 Million Have Benefitted From EU Temporary Protection Since February 2022