Current State of Forced Migration Processes and Challenges for Ukraine

Abstract

The scale of migration processes as a result of the war creates a humanitarian challenge for Ukraine, which it has not yet faced in modern history. The collection of statistical information from various sources, as well as the conduct of numerous sociological studies, in general, provide a complete statistical picture and geography of the movements of Ukrainians both internally between the regions of Ukraine and abroad. According to the results of the International Organization for Migration (IOM), as of June 2022, more than 6 million people were internally displaced persons (IDPs) within Ukraine. As of mid-July, there are about 6 million Ukrainian refugees in mainland Europe. The largest number of refugees with the status of temporary protection is in Poland, followed by Germany and the Czech Republic, Spain, France, Slovakia, Austria, Great Britain, the Netherlands and Switzerland. The reasons for the return of both IDPs and refugees include the perception of a security situation, reunification with family, difficulties in finding housing or work, temporary return to collect belongings, see family or evacuate loved ones. Reasons for not returning to Ukraine: families with children who will go to school or enter a higher education institution abroad; those who have a higher education, speak foreign languages, had a high level of income and are more mobile; people who planned to leave Ukraine before the start of a full-scale war; those who seasonally or permanently worked abroad; people with disabilities who receive better social and medical care abroad and are less mobile, etc. Migration challenges for Ukraine are: the continuation of hostilities and martial law in the long term, which will be deepened by socio-economic and demographic consequences; restoration of the full functioning of urban/rural infrastructure; the increase in the level of unemployment and the burden on the state budget regarding the payment of financial assistance to both unemployed and displaced persons; development of both short-term and long-term effective migration social policy regarding the return of the majority of citizens with the adoption of relevant regulatory and legislative documents, etc.