Ljubljana - The government adopted on Wednesday a decision introducing temporary protection for displaced persons from Ukraine that effectively grants them a temporary residence permit, access to the labour market, accommodation, education, social care and healthcare.

The decision activates the temporary protection of displaced persons act and comes after EU home affairs ministers agreed last week to activate the relevant directive for the first time ever.

The activation speeds up protection granting procedures, as Ukrainian refugees will not be required to ask for international protection on their arrival in Slovenia.

The government determined the categories of persons to whom Slovenia will provide temporary protection, the date of introduction and duration of temporary protection and the rules applicable to these persons after the temporary protection expires.

Temporary protection will be provided to persons displaced from Ukraine on or after 24 February 2022 as a result of the military invasion by the Russian armed forces, which started on that date, the government said in a press release.

These persons include citizens of Ukraine, stateless persons and third-country nationals who are not citizens of Ukraine and who have been entitled to international protection or other equivalent national protection in Ukraine.

Also eligible are family members of these persons, and stateless persons and third-country nationals who are not citizens of Ukraine and have resided in Ukraine based on a valid permanent residence permit and are unable to return to their country of origin in a safe and permanent manner.

The temporary protection will last for one year and can be extended for a maximum of two times for six months.

The government also decided to establish an accommodation centre for the applicants and persons with approved temporary protection in parts of the premises of the Protection and Disaster Relief Administration in Logatec.