BRUSSELS

Finland will continue to offer temporary protection to Ukrainian citizens fleeing war until March 2027, the country's Interior Ministry announced Wednesday.

In a press release, the ministry said the situation in Ukraine remains “unstable and difficult to predict.”

The Finnish Immigration Service expects between 8,000 and 12,000 new applications this year.

The decision aligns with an EU directive that allows member states to quickly provide protection to displaced people without requiring them to undergo the full asylum process.

"Granting temporary protection makes it possible to provide protection to a limited group of people through a swift process that is lighter than the asylum procedure," the ministry said.

According to official estimates, around 4.3 million Ukrainians are currently benefiting from temporary protection across the EU.

In Finland, approximately 46,000 people are receiving such support.