In person icon The Ambiguities of Temporary Protection: Impact and Dilemmas of Time-Limited Refugee Policies

Abstract

In response to recent large-scale displacement crises, and especially Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, many European countries have adopted temporary protection policies. These policies significantly affect refugees’ rights, access to resources, and their strategies for integration, aspirations, and future plans. This panel will explore the political motivations behind this shift and examine how the temporary nature of protection shapes the rights, integration opportunities, and strategies of Ukrainian refugees under temporary protection status. European temporary protection policies often oscillate between promoting integration and planning for eventual repatriation. Although host countries may encourage initial integration efforts, the emphasis on temporary stay introduces uncertainty, influencing both refugees’ hopes for settlement and the strategic planning of states and local authorities. By imposing an indeterminate timeline on residence, these policies challenge refugees and supporting services to navigate their immediate needs for integration alongside the potential for future return, positioning them as "liminal" migrants in an ambiguous state. The papers in this panel analyse how temporary protection policies shape national approaches to integration across European contexts and levels of governance, and how temporary status influences refugees’ social, economic, and political inclusion. Based on empirical studies of policies, implementation, and refugees’ own experiences and strategies, the papers combine to enhance our understanding of the policy decisions made by host states and the impacts of temporary status on refugees, their access to services, and their strategies for the near and far future. Together, these perspectives address the issue of balancing effective immediate responses and durable long-term impacts in temporary refugee protection frameworks.

Title	Details
Temporary Protection System in a Global Perspective and the Displaced from Ukraine in Vienna	View Paper Details
From Emergency to Long-Term Inclusion Needs: Accessing Independent Housing Under the Temporary Protection Framework	View Paper Details
From Policy to Practice: How Temporariness Shapes Refugee Integration in Norway. Temporary Protection and the Implementation of Integration Policies in Norway	View Paper Details
Room for the Integration Paradox? Exploring Ukrainian Refugees’ Labor Market Integration Experiences in Norway	View Paper Details
Staying Close or Going Far. How Likelihood of Return and Perceptions of Temporality Shape Destination Country Preferences Among Ukrainian Refugees	View Paper Details