They fled Ukraine to the Netherlands. Why are they being expelled?

Thousands of third-country nationals who fled Ukraine must leave the country this week, a court has ruled.

Thousands of third-country nationals who found refuge in the Netherlands after Russia’s February 24, 2022 invasion have been told to leave the country by Monday.

Many of those affected, mostly students and young workers from Ukraine, have been gathering in the streets of Amsterdam to protest in recent weeks, accusing the recently-elected far-right Dutch government of discrimination.

The expulsion order came after a high court of the Netherlands ruled in January that a European Union policy that allowed both Ukrainian nationals and residents to settle in the country since the war would no longer apply to temporary residents. Those affected must exit the country by March 4 or risk forced deportation.

Here’s why the Dutch government is asking this group to leave now and how lawyers are hoping to overturn the ruling:

Like most of the European Union, the Netherlands initially opened up its borders to those fleeing Ukraine right at the start of the war, in March 2022. A Temporary Protection Directive (TPD) from the EU provided that Ukrainian refugees and permanent residents be offered refuge for two years until March 4, 2024, and that permits could be extended by the bloc as needed.