More than 100,000 Ukrainians given temporary protection in Belgium after four years of war
As Ukraine enters the fifth year since Russia launched its full-scale invasion on 24 February 2022, many refugees are still living far from home. In Belgium, more than 100,000 Ukrainians have been granted temporary protection, but the support system is now under pressure.
Ten days after the invasion, the European Union activated its temporary protection scheme. This allowed Ukrainians to live and work in EU countries without going through the usual asylum process. They were given immediate access to housing, social support, healthcare, jobs and education. Although the scheme was first meant to last one year, it has since been extended until 4 March 2027.
Figures from the Immigration Office show that between March 2022 and January 2026, a total of 101,536 people received temporary protection in Belgium. Most were Ukrainian nationals, though some non-Ukrainians who had been living in Ukraine also qualified.
The largest wave arrived in 2022, the first year of the war. That year, 63,356 people were granted protection, including 26,507 in March alone. The numbers fell in the following years: 15,626 in 2023 and 13,277 in 2024. Last year, 8,756 people received certificates of protection.
In 2025, the gap between women (52 per cent) and men (48 per cent) narrowed compared with earlier years. Most new arrivals were aged 18 to 34 (41 per cent) and 35 to 64 (32 per cent). Children and older people had already fled in large numbers in 2022.
In December, aid groups including Caritas International warned that protection for Ukrainian refugees in Belgium is becoming harder to obtain, even as the violence continues. By the end of 2025, one in three applicants was refused, compared with just 3 per cent in 2022.
Officials say there are several reasons. Since June last year, EU rules allow member states to refuse applicants who have already received temporary protection in another EU country. Belgium introduced the stricter rules a month later. Authorities also report more applications from people who were not living in Ukraine before February 2022, or from those reapplying after an earlier refusal.
Not all those granted protection are still in Belgium. The authorities confirmed that 22,594 people have been removed from the national register. This includes those who left the country, died, or were no longer living at their registered address. Of these, 7,515 said they had moved abroad. Most (5,841 people) returned to Ukraine. Smaller numbers moved to Poland (254), the United States (245) and Canada (217). The true figure is likely higher, as not everyone reports their departure.
For those who remain, the future is uncertain. While temporary protection runs until March 2027, support in Flanders is being reduced. Of the 8,756 Ukrainians who arrived last year, 12 per cent needed help finding housing, according to Fedasil. They were referred to cities and towns across the country.
However, from 31 March 2026 the Flemish government will stop funding local emergency shelters. Municipalities will have to cover the costs themselves or help refugees move into the private rental market, something that has proved difficult.
One exception is the emergency village in Ghent, which will remain open until March 2027 in line with the EU scheme. The site in Oostakker has space for up to 600 people across 200 housing units.
© BELGA PHOTO JULIETTE BRUYNSEELS