With Russia’s all-out war against Ukraine dragging on for the fourth year now, Kyiv is rethinking its strategy on how to keep close ties with the people who were forced to leave Ukraine and relocate abroad and how to motivate them to come back.
Some 4.8 million Ukrainians have been granted temporary protection in Europe since Russia went on its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
What was initially planned as a three-year protection mechanism has just been extended for a total of five years, until March 2027.
The longer people stay abroad, the harder it is to bring them back home, says Oleksiy Chernyshov, Ukraine’s vice-prime minister who is now leading a newly-created ministry for national unity.
Chernyshov is tasked with maintaining close ties with Ukrainians abroad and motivating them to return home, as they are becoming increasingly settled abroad.
“The longer the war continues — the more integrated Ukrainians become in other countries,” he told Euronews.
“That is why even during the war we want to keep ties with Ukrainians. We want to address and we want explain that everyone is equally important to Ukraine. We want your contribution, either it’s material or even emotional,” Chernyshov explained.
“You should be integrated into Ukrainian life. You should think of Ukraine. Regardless of the fact that when you are considering your return, or if you are not considering it at all. It’s important you’re keeping your Ukrainian identity and Ukrainian agenda,” he added, addressing his compatriots.
Kyiv now hopes to rebuild its strategy with the so-called “Unity Hubs” that have been opened abroad. These multifunctional spaces will provide a variety of services to displaced or temporarily displaced Ukrainians, including legal, psychological, educational, cultural and support services to facilitate their integration into the European Union.
However, they will also encourage them to voluntarily return to Ukraine once the peaceful conditions permit this to happen.
The European Commission supported the initiative as it announced the extension of the temporary protection scheme.
Chernyshov said it gives “more than 20 months of clarity for Ukrainians here in the European Union to plan their life.” At the same time, Kyiv hopes the “Unity Hubs” initiative will also help the people plan for their future return to Ukraine.
That, Chernyshov admitted, would first and foremost depend on the war. The Ukrainians didn’t move looking for a better life, he reiterated: “They were escaping from the war and we should always remember that.”
Ukrainian refugees and the EU’s labour market
Meanwhile, Ukrainians in Europe have been “a very strong asset to a labour market,” Ukraine’s vice-prime minister said.
“They’re professional, they’re hardworking, they’re intelligent, they’re educated and obviously the labour markets will compete with each other,” Chernyshov explained.
There is no official data on how many Ukrainian refugees are working in Europe, and the situation varies from country to country.
According to the joint report by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and the European Migration Network from May 2024, the beneficiaries of temporary protection (BoTP) integrated into the labour market more quickly than other refugee groups.
At the beginning of 2023, the share of working-age BoTP in employment was already over 40% in a number of EU countries, including Estonia, Lithuania, Denmark and the Netherlands.
Even higher employment levels were reported in Poland, exceeding 60%. While the number was lower than average in Germany (18%) and Switzerland (14%).
After the first massive waves of relocation in 2022, most EU countries reported lower numbers of registrations. However, the number of BoTP employment continued to grow, reflecting an increased transition into employment.
Having gained professional experience abroad, Kyiv hopes the Ukrainians will then implement it at home. Chernyshov said that economic development and the implementation of reforms will also pave the way for people to return home after the war is over.
“Once Ukraine rebuilds and develops its economy. European countries will come for the recovery. Who will they bring with them? Obviously, first of all, they will consider Ukrainians who are professionally integrated into Europe, and they will most probably offer them jobs in Ukraine,” he pointed out.
However, although economic growth and further development are undoubtedly important, stable peace remains the primary precondition for the return of the people, as well as for Ukraine’s economic growth and prosperity.
‘We cannot force people to come back’
Brussels announced that the European Commission will appoint a special envoy for Ukrainians in the EU.
This should help provide better information to Ukrainians about transitioning to a different legal status from temporary protection, and also pave the way for a gradual return and reintegration in Ukraine.
Chernyshov says many Ukrainians want to return home, and they have already demonstrated this.
After the Ukrainian army pushed Russian troops out of the Kyiv region, many rushed home as soon as they could.
“In March 2022 a lot of people returned to Kyiv and other cities, and it actually gives a great example,” Chernyshov said, adding that many regularly go to Ukraine to visit their families and friends while temporarily being based abroad.
In an unprecedented step, Kyiv established the Ministry of National Unity, trying to motivate them to come back more and one day come back to stay, and is now working on allowing dual and multiple citizenship.
But what Kyiv cannot and will not do is force people to return, Chernyshov said. “We cannot force anybody to come back. This is impossible”.
“The only motivation to go back to Ukraine is a successful Ukraine and your love for your homeland. These are the only two factors that make Ukrainians go back and consider this decision seriously. No forceful actions can be provided or will be provided. This is only peaceful motivation,” he explained.
Ukraine can do as much as it can to motivate the people with the administrative and economic incentives, but as long as Ukrainian cities are still being bombed and attacked, it is harder to convince people to come back.
In this case, the decision to return home to Ukraine for many will depend not on Brussels or Kyiv, but on Moscow choosing whether to continue its war against Ukraine.
