Ukrainian Citizens: Withdrawal of Temporary Protection Permit in Italy

In recent months and with an increasing trend, DRC Italy hotline staff and LAO have received reports of Ukrainian citizens who want to renounce to their Temporary Protection (TP) in Italy to re-submit their application in another EU Country. In most cases these people want to reunite with relatives in other Member States (Germany in particular); sometimes the interest in moving to another country is linked to the search for employment. 

The Immigration Office of the Police Headquarter in Turin (DRC Italy duty station), being the authority that issues TP permits, was completely unprepared to deal with renunciation requests: it made initial resistance and only as a result of DRC Italy pressure agreed to stamp a hand-written renouncement: DRC Italy LAO prepared a form, who’s been filled-in by the beneficiary and translated it into English and Ukrainian, on which the police officers put a stamp. Following DRC Italy’s input, the Immigration Office of another Police Headquarter also agreed to withdraw the residence permit of a Ukrainian citizen who wants to move to another MS. 

Among the cases DRC Italy’s staff has followed and supported in the withdrawal of TP permit in Italy, one has officially obtained TP status in Germany, while more updates are awaited from other beneficiaries who have left the Country and moved to another MS. 

In addition, DRC Italy is closely following the case of a Ukrainian citizen who fled the war to Sweden after 24th of February and then came to Italy with the intention of applying for TP status. Swedish authorities are not willing to withdraw the persons’ TP permit and Italian authorities are waiting to release a new permit to the applicant. More updates on this specific case, and potentially similar ones, will come. 

Overall, DRC Italy continues advocating for the right of Ukrainian citizens to renounce to the temporary protection granted by one Country to apply in another MS, as this right is derived from the spirit of articles 15 (6) and 26 (4) of the Temporary Protection Directive (TPD). 

The discipline of double applications is also the subject of the “Frequently asked questions received on the interpretation of the Temporary Protection Directive and Council Implementing Decision 2022/382”¹ and the answer is in line with our position: a person falling under the scope of TPD has the right to be registered in a Member State even if it has previously obtained temporary protection from another Member State. 

The link is here.