Cyprus continued to host one of the highest proportions of people under temporary protection from Ukraine in the European Union in April 2026, according to new Eurostat figures.
The number of beneficiaries in Cyprus stood at 24,880 at the end of April, almost unchanged from 24,890 in March. While the overall figure remained stable, Cyprus ranked fourth in the EU when measured against population size, with 25.31 beneficiaries per 1,000 residents.
Only Czechia, at 35.2 per 1,000 residents, Poland at 26.6 and Slovakia at 26.5 recorded higher rates. The EU average was significantly lower, at 9.7 beneficiaries per 1,000 residents.
Across the European Union, 4.37 million non-EU citizens who fled Ukraine because of the war were under temporary protection as of 30 April 2026. This marked an increase of 42,990 people, or 1%, compared with the end of March.
Germany remained the main host country in absolute numbers, with 1,279,660 beneficiaries, representing 29.3% of the EU total. Poland followed with 971,255 people, or 22.2%, while Czechia hosted 384,435, accounting for 8.8%.
Eurostat said the number of beneficiaries rose in 24 member states and fell in three. The largest monthly increases were recorded in Poland, where the number rose by 9,850, followed by Italy with 7,020 and Germany with 4,705. The biggest decreases were reported in France, down by 440 people, and Ireland, down by 125.
Ukrainian citizens continued to account for the overwhelming majority of those under temporary protection, making up more than 98.5% of the EU total at the end of April. Adult women represented 43.4% of beneficiaries, adult men 26.7%, and minors 29.9%.
The EU temporary protection mechanism was activated after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, allowing people fleeing the war to access residence rights, employment, education and basic services across member states. The Council of the EU has extended the scheme from 4 March 2026 until 4 March 2027.
Source: CNA
