Beneficiaries of temporary protection

In March 2022, the EU activated the Temporary Protection Directive, granting immediate temporary protection status in the EU to people fleeing the war in Ukraine. The number of beneficiaries of temporary protection grew rapidly in the first year after the Russian invasion of *Ukraine, reaching 4 million by February 2023. In December 2023, there were 4.3 million beneficiaries of temporary protection in the EU (see Figure 23). Having access to temporary protection does not preclude beneficiaries from applying for international protection in the EU. Between March 2022 and December 2023, 34 000 Ukrainian nationals lodged asylum applications in the EU.