The European Union announced on Monday that it will extend the EU-wide protection scheme for Ukrainian refugees until 2024, AFP and Barrons reported.

This was stated by European Commissioner for Internal Affairs Ylva Johansson on Monday afternoon in the context of rocket attacks on several Ukrainian cities, including Kyiv, in the morning.

According to the latest figures released by the Ukrainian authorities around 15:00, the death toll has risen to 11, most of them in Kyiv, and the number of injured is at least 64.

Johansonn also noted that Ukrainians in the EU who have decided to return to their country can retain their refugee status if they notify the relevant EU country of their move.

The European commissioner, who says the decision was made before Monday’s attacks, also told reporters that 4.2 million Ukrainians currently have temporary protection under an EU scheme that gives them the right to live and work in any EU country and benefit from aid for housing and education.

Measures of the European Union regarding Ukrainian refugees

The program, which the EU activated on March 4, was initially supposed to run for one year until March next year, with the possibility of an extension.

But Johansson announced on Monday that he would “continue to act until at least March 2024”.

She also said that the rule in the scheme that temporary protection status ends when a person returns to their country has been changed.

“We decided that you don’t need to cancel your registration, when you return, you can keep the temporary protection you got in a member state,” she told the Ukrainian refugees.

“The only thing you need to do is to notify the national or local authorities in your host country that you are returning to Ukraine,” Ylva Johansson explained.

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