After August 5, 2026, the European Union stopped automatically granting temporary protection to Ukrainian men of conscription age. Hungary broke ranks and announced it will continue offering asylum to men fleeing Ukraine over the war and mobilization. Its leader Viktor Orbán stressed this applies both to ethnic Hungarians from Zakarpattia and to all Ukrainian men.
Why the EU Denied Protection
Most European Union countries decided that simply not wanting to serve in Ukraine’s army does not automatically qualify someone for asylum. This is stated directly in the explanatory note to the decision extending temporary protection. Germany has already officially announced it will not consider such requests at all. Men who, after August 5, want to receive automatic temporary protection must have a border service stamp confirming official departure or a note in their documents about deregistration from military service — a simple deferral or exemption is no longer enough.
What Hungary Offers Instead
Amid the EU-wide tightening, Hungary announced its own approach. Prime Minister Orbán stated that the country reserves the right to grant asylum to men leaving Ukraine because of the war and mobilization. While this is primarily aimed at ethnic Hungarians from Zakarpattia, it also applies to all other Ukrainian men. Hungary voted against the EU decision to end automatic protection.
The Difference Between Temporary Protection and Asylum
These two categories are not the same. Temporary protection is granted through a simplified procedure under EU Directive 2001/55. Asylum is assessed individually, based on the 1951 Refugee Convention, and requires verification of the specific circumstances of the case. Hungary is inviting men to apply for asylum specifically under the Convention, citing war and mobilization as grounds.
How This Works in Practice
A Ukrainian man arriving in Hungary after August 5 will not automatically receive temporary protection just by showing up. He will need to file an asylum application and prove that his persecution is genuine. If he already holds status in another country (for example, Paragraph 24 in Germany), that won’t help: applying twice for protection is unlikely to succeed. For now, Hungary’s statement is a political commitment, and how it will actually be implemented remains unclear.
What Changes for Ukrainians in Europe
Ukrainian men who previously received automatic temporary protection in EU countries simply because they came from Ukraine now face new requirements. Many European countries have already begun refusing precisely because people lack the necessary stamp or note. Hungary is becoming the exception — the only EU country explicitly stating it will consider such requests on a case-by-case basis.
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