Iceland proposes extending temporary protection from five years to six

Iceland’s government has submitted a bill that would extend the maximum period of temporary protection from five years to six for people displaced by a mass influx. The measure, introduced by Justice Minister Þorbjörg Sigríður Gunnlaugsdóttir, was carried over from the previous parliamentary session.

The proposal seeks to keep Icelandic law in line with the approach taken by other European countries, especially the Nordic states, when temporary protection reaches its end. The government said the bill reflects changes in European Union rules on the scope and conditions of temporary protection linked to Russia’s war in Ukraine.

More than 6,000 people from Ukraine have received temporary protection in Iceland since Russia’s invasion began more than four years ago. The government said it considers a coordinated European approach important. The EU Council extended temporary protection for people fleeing Ukraine until March 2028, while Iceland’s current law limits such protection to five years from the date an individual first receives the permit.

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The bill includes several changes that take into account the European Union’s decision on the revised scope and conditions of temporary protection related to Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine.

The bill would also remove a specific provision allowing humanitarian residence permits after temporary protection ends. The government said this would emphasize the temporary nature of the protection and avoid setting a future legal status in advance.

The proposed changes would apply only to new applications and would not affect people already receiving temporary protection in Iceland. They would also not affect individuals’ right to apply for international protection. New applications would generally be denied when the applicant already holds a valid residence permit on the same or a comparable basis in another EU country, Denmark or another Schengen partner country. Authorities would also consider whether applicants were legally permitted to leave Ukraine in light of military obligations under Ukrainian law.

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The changes apply only to new applications and do not affect the legal status of those already receiving temporary protection in Iceland.