240,000 Ukrainians in US face potential loss of temporary legal status and deportation – Reuters
Photo: Jonas Walzberg / dpa
The administration of US President Donald Trump intends to cancel the temporary legal status of about 240 thousand Ukrainians who left Ukraine as a result of the full-scale invasion of the Russian Federation.
Reuters reported this with reference to a senior Trump administration official and three sources familiar with the matter.
"This step, expected as early as April, will be a cardinal change in the hospitality that Ukrainians received during the administration of President Joe Biden," the publication says.
It is noted that this decision could lead to accelerated deportation.
Reuters writes that the planned curtailment of Ukrainians' protected status took place before the dispute between the presidents of the United States and Ukraine, Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky, on February 28.
According to the sources, this is part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to revoke the legal status of more than 1.8 million migrants who were allowed to enter the United States under temporary humanitarian programs launched during the Biden administration.
US Department of Homeland Security spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin said the agency has no current announcements.
The White House and the Ukrainian embassy did not respond to Reuters requests for comment.
On January 20, US President Donald Trump signed an order suspending all foreign aid programs for 90 days until reviews are conducted to determine whether they meet his policy goals.
On January 24, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio ordered a "cease fire" on all foreign aid. He made an exception for emergency food aid, which may apply, in particular, to the Gaza Strip and Sudan.
For reference:
On March 5, the EU Council for Justice and Home Affairs approved a position paper on gradually launching a new digital border management system to collect biometric data of third-country nationals entering the EU.
The temporary protection mechanism for Ukrainians seeking refuge from a full-scale war on the territory of the European Union came into effect in many countries on March 4, 2022.
On December 31, it became known that the United Kingdom had granted asylum to more than 300,000 Ukrainians who were forced to leave their country due to the full-scale Russian invasion.
Also on December 21, the Chamber of Deputies, the lower house of the Czech Parliament, approved in the third reading the collection of laws Lex Ukraine VII, which allows for the extension of temporary protection for asylum seekers from Ukraine for another year.
In the United States of America, a decision was made to extend the temporary protection status (Temporary Protected Status, TPS) for Ukrainian citizens for another 18 months.
It is worth adding that on June 25, the Council of the European Union adopted a decision to extend temporary protection until March 4, 2026 for more than 4 million Ukrainians who found refuge in the EU from Russian aggression.
Several European countries have announced plans to provide financial incentives of up to €5,300 to Ukrainians who choose to return home early.
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