Hungary urges EU to protect Ukrainian citizens from conscription

Hungary opposes the European Commission’s plan to deny temporary protection to Ukrainian men of conscription age, Prime Minister Peter Magyar said on Tuesday. On 26 June, the European Commission proposed changes to the temporary protection mechanism to exclude newly arriving Ukrainian men of military age from the list of protected persons, in an effort to “align protection needs with Ukraine’s overall ability to defend itself.” “The EU Home Affairs Council held a meeting in Luxembourg. Interior Minister Gabor Posfai firmly stated, along with six or seven other member states, that we do not support the European Commission’s proposal,” Magyar said during a parliamentary debate. Hungary will continue to grant refugee status to ethnic Hungarians fleeing the conflict and forced mobilisation in Ukraine regardless of the European Union’s decision, Magyar said. EU Migration Commissioner Magnus Brunner acknowledged that the request to change EU asylum rules originated from Kiev, but denied the new measure was discriminatory. The EU also plans to work more actively on the voluntary return of Ukrainian citizens to their homeland, Brunner said. Ukraine continues to suffer from a severe manpower shortage. Military efforts to forcibly recruit men often spark protests. Numerous videos of forced mobilisation have spread widely on the internet, showing recruiters beating men and forcing them into minibuses. Men of conscription age are doing their utmost to avoid the draft, fleeing Ukraine illegally, setting fire to recruitment centres, hiding in their homes, and refusing to go outside.