Poland Rejects Forcible Deportation of Draft-Age Ukrainian Men
Polish official Tomasz Siemoniak announced that Poland will not forcibly detain and return draft-age Ukrainian men, following a recent EU agreement linking temporary protection to military...
Polish official Tomasz Siemoniak announced that Poland will not forcibly detain and return draft-age Ukrainian men, following a recent EU agreement linking temporary protection to military obligations.
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No Forcible Restrictions for Draft-Age Ukrainians
Tomasz Siemoniak addressed a proposal suggesting that Polish services should detain Ukrainians in Poland who are subject to mandatory mobilization and hand them over to the Ukrainian side. Speaking on Radio ZET, the minister declared that Poland will not introduce such restrictions for draft-age Ukrainians. He stated on Tuesday, August 4, that they should not do this by force.
A Number One Deficit for Ukraine
Siemoniak reported that he spoke repeatedly with Ukrainian authorities regarding issues related to the mobilization of citizens staying outside Ukraine. He noted that this is a huge deficit and number one for Ukraine, confirming their interest in having such individuals return to Ukraine.
EU Decision on Draft-Age Ukrainians
On July 15, European Union member states agreed that the EU will no longer automatically provide protection to draft-age Ukrainians, as reported by Wyborcza.pl. Siemoniak emphasized that discussions regarding the status of Ukrainian citizens in the European Union are ongoing, adding that various actions to prompt such individuals to fulfill their duty to their homeland can certainly be considered.
Ukraine Requests Exclusion from Temporary Protection
Ukraine asked the EU at the beginning of June to exclude draft-age men from the temporary protection directive. This directive allows refugees through a simplified procedure to stay legally in European Union countries and gives them access to the health care system, labor market, and education system on their territory.
European Council on Changing Defense Needs
According to the EU decision, temporary protection will no longer be granted to individuals who do not fulfill their military obligations under Ukrainian law and therefore have not obtained authorization from the authorities to leave Ukraine. The European Council statement reads that, given the changing defense needs of Ukraine, temporary protection will be granted exclusively to those who fulfill their military obligations in Ukraine.