Over 100,000 Ukrainians have been granted temporary protection status in Belgium since the beginning of the Russian military attack on their country in 2022, local media reported. It is noted that many of the Ukrainians have managed to somewhat settle their lives in the host country, but are hesitant about whether they want to return home when conditions allow, BTA reported.
Data shows that the number of refusals by Belgian authorities to provide protection is increasing. Out of 883 refusals in 2024, last year the applications of over three thousand Ukrainians were rejected - due to failure to meet the condition of being in Ukraine at the beginning of the war or due to violations of the law since they have been in the EU. Since last summer, Belgian authorities have also started to deny status to foreigners who had previously been granted protection in another EU country, which also affects Ukrainian citizens.
Thousands of Ukrainians have already left Belgium, with 14,000 losing their right to protection due to violations of the law, and over 7,000 saying they preferred to return to their homeland. Belgian authorities are calling for a European solution for the future of Ukrainian refugees in the EU, and specifying that the granted protection status expires next March.