Three third-country nationals who fled from Ukraine have won the right to keep working in the Netherlands and living in council accommodation until their appeals against the government’s new rules have been decided.

The men, originally from India, Pakistan and Ghana, are among a group of 2,750 people who have been ordered to leave the Netherlands by April 2 unless they have an application for asylum pending.

Deputy asylum minister Eric van der Burg withdrew the right for non-Ukrainians to live and work in the Netherlands from March 4.

But the district court in Haarlem ruled that they should retain their rights under the European guidelines for refugees from Ukraine until their cases have been concluded.

A decision on their appeals is due on March 27. The government has also been told it cannot deport them while the decision is pending.

The case has implications for dozens of third-country nationals who have lodged appeals against Van der Burg’s decision to restrict the special refugee status to Ukrainian citizens.

Nationals of other countries who were working and studying in Ukraine were initially granted the same rights to live and work in the Netherlands, as well as accommodation and financial support, when the war broke out in February 2022.

Around 740 third-country nationals have applied for asylum since the government said in January they would no longer be covered by the Ukrainian rules. Van der Burg has told local councils to transfer them to the refugee accommodation service COA.