The EU Response to the Ukrainian Refugee Crisis: A Turning Point for the Common European Asylum System or a Discriminatory Exception?

This contribution analyses the EU’s activation of the Temporary Protection Directive in response to the Ukrainian crisis, arguing that the unprecedented solidarity shown reflects racialised and political dynamics rather than a genuine shift in EU asylum policy. By comparing this response with the non-use of temporary protection in earlier crises, it highlights the selective and potentially discriminatory nature of the EU’s approach to forced displacement.