On 2 July the European Council on Refugees and Exiles (ECRE) reported that the European Commission has formally proposed extending the Temporary Protection Directive (TPD) for people fleeing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine until March 2028. The move would give some 58,000 Ukrainians currently hosted in Belgium – and more than four million across the EU – an additional two years of residency rights, access to the labour market and social security.
For Belgium, which activated the directive on 4 March 2022, the proposal means regional authorities must budget for housing, schooling and integration services well beyond the previous March 2027 cut-off. The Flemish Refugee Agency Fedasil has already signalled that it would need 3,500 extra reception places next winter if the extension is approved, while Wallonia is considering converting disused office parks into modular housing. A controversial clause in the draft would exclude newly arriving Ukrainian men who are subject to Kyiv’s military-service rules. Belgian NGOs, including Vluchtelingenwerk Vlaanderen, fear the exclusion will create a two-tier system and complicate family-reunification cases. The Federal Migration Centre (Myria) has urged the government to maintain equal treatment until clear EU guidance is issued.
![Commission floats extra two-year extension of Ukraine Temporary Protection; Belgium prepares for longer stay]()
For those affected by these shifting rules—and for employers trying to keep their Ukrainian staff compliant—VisaHQ’s Belgium portal (https://www.visahq.com/belgium/) offers clear, up-to-date assistance on residence extensions, work authorisations and long-term visa options, helping clients navigate paperwork quickly and stay ahead of any policy changes.
Corporate employers with Ukrainian staff on temporary-protection ‘A-cards’ should welcome the added certainty. Permanent contracts that were due to end with the TPD in 2027 can now be extended, and work-permit conversions may be postponed. Nevertheless, HR teams should monitor the Council debate: if France or Hungary succeed in diluting the proposal, national follow-up rules could vary. The Council of the EU is expected to vote after the summer recess. Belgium’s coalition has indicated conditional support, provided the EU offers financial compensation for hosting costs. Mobility advisers should therefore plan for a likely two-year horizon and begin advising Ukrainian assignees on pathways to long-term residence or EU Blue Cards.
For Belgium, which activated the directive on 4 March 2022, the proposal means regional authorities must budget for housing, schooling and integration services well beyond the previous March 2027 cut-off. The Flemish Refugee Agency Fedasil has already signalled that it would need 3,500 extra reception places next winter if the extension is approved, while Wallonia is considering converting disused office parks into modular housing. A controversial clause in the draft would exclude newly arriving Ukrainian men who are subject to Kyiv’s military-service rules. Belgian NGOs, including Vluchtelingenwerk Vlaanderen, fear the exclusion will create a two-tier system and complicate family-reunification cases. The Federal Migration Centre (Myria) has urged the government to maintain equal treatment until clear EU guidance is issued.
For those affected by these shifting rules—and for employers trying to keep their Ukrainian staff compliant—VisaHQ’s Belgium portal (https://www.visahq.com/belgium/) offers clear, up-to-date assistance on residence extensions, work authorisations and long-term visa options, helping clients navigate paperwork quickly and stay ahead of any policy changes.
Corporate employers with Ukrainian staff on temporary-protection ‘A-cards’ should welcome the added certainty. Permanent contracts that were due to end with the TPD in 2027 can now be extended, and work-permit conversions may be postponed. Nevertheless, HR teams should monitor the Council debate: if France or Hungary succeed in diluting the proposal, national follow-up rules could vary. The Council of the EU is expected to vote after the summer recess. Belgium’s coalition has indicated conditional support, provided the EU offers financial compensation for hosting costs. Mobility advisers should therefore plan for a likely two-year horizon and begin advising Ukrainian assignees on pathways to long-term residence or EU Blue Cards.
