The Netherlands may stop providing accommodation to third country nationals who were living in Ukraine before the Russian invasion, the Council of State said on Wednesday, upholding an earlier opinion by the European Court of Justice’s advocate general.

Some 2,500 third country nationals – often students, workers or people married to Ukrainians – came to the Netherlands, but a mishmash of conflicting legal decisions has led to confusion about their right to stay.

The foreign students and workers who were in Ukraine before the invasion had been ordered to return to their home countries, but many challenged the Dutch government’s position in court. Around 1,900 are still thought to be in the Netherlands.

Immigration minister Marjolein Faber has welcomed the decision by the highest Dutch administrative court, describing it as good news.

Third country nationals will continue to have the same rights as Ukrainians until Faber sets a date for support to end. “I am going to get down to this right away,” Faber said on social media. “If you have no right to stay, then you need to leave the country.”