Cyprus gives temporary protection to second highest number of Ukrainians in EU

Cyprus has the second highest ratio of granting Ukrainian citizens temporary protection compared to its population among the EU27, according to May figures issued by Eurostat.

The EU’s statistical agency said that among EU member states for which May data are available, Poland granted the highest number of temporary protection statuses to Ukrainians fleeing Ukraine (96,085) as a consequence of Russia’s invasion.

Poland was followed by Romania (20,435) and Bulgaria (19,860), Eurostat said.

The figure for Cyprus was 3,170.

While the overwhelming majority of people receiving temporary protection were Ukrainians, there were also citizens of other countries who received such status in the EU member states, e.g. 825 Nigerians in Portugal or 205 Russians in Poland, it said.

In May, the number of Ukrainians receiving temporary protection increased in four EU member states, with the largest increases recorded in Romania and Denmark (+9,575 and +1,040 respectively, compared with April 2022).

In contrast, the numbers dropped in 18 EU member states, with the largest decrease observed in Poland (-329,535 compared with April 2022), followed by Bulgaria (-41,610) and France (-14,535).

Compared with the population of each member state, the highest ratio of Ukrainian citizens granted temporary protection in May was recorded in Lithuania (6.1 granted temporary protection per thousand inhabitants), followed by Cyprus (3.5) and Bulgaria (2.9).

The largest number of Ukrainian children (under 18s) granted temporary protection was recorded in Poland (30,170 children, or 31 per cent of Ukrainians granted protection in Poland in May), followed by Romania (8,235, or 40 per cent) and Bulgaria (7,175, or 36 per cent).

In the EU member states for which data are available, the majority of Ukrainians granted temporary protection were women, including girls.

The largest number of females who received temporary protection were reported by Poland (67,465, or 70 per cent of the Ukrainians granted protection in Poland in May), Romania (13,785, or 67 per cent) and Bulgaria (13,475, or 68 per cent).

Among males granted temporary protection in the EU member states, at least a third were boys below 18 years old.

Based on the available data as of May 31, 2022, the largest number of Ukrainians benefitting from temporary protection in the EU was recorded in Poland (1,142,375 Ukrainians with temporary protection). Poland was followed by Bulgaria (111,895) and Slovakia (76,510).