A significant portion of Ukrainians may not return after the war — SMS
The head of the State Migration Service of Ukraine, Nataliia Naumenko, believes that a significant portion of Ukrainians who left the country due to the war may return home. According to her, currently approximately 7 to 9 million citizens are outside Ukraine. At the same time, she emphasizes that these numbers are not static, as some Ukrainians are already returning, while others are integrating into other countries.
“We understand that not everyone will return. There are people who have already assimilated and integrated into the societies of other countries,” said Naumenko.
At the same time, she estimates the potential return rate at about 50%. According to her, migration is a natural process, especially in the European context, where people are more mobile and not strictly tied to their place of residence or work.
“Look, for me, as a person who has been involved in migration processes since 1998, the number of Ukrainian citizens staying abroad is not actually a tragic figure. I can explain why. For me, migration is also an absolutely natural process. Migration in Europe is a natural process in a double sense because people are not tied to housing, they are very mobile, and they can generally change their place of residence and work very easily, depending on where it is interesting, where there are prospects, where there is a more or less decent salary, and so on. So the tragedy is that today Ukrainians who left Ukraine, hiding from the war, escaping the war, yes, it is painful, but still there is hope, first, that they are alive, and second, that children are studying and receiving a decent education,” she said.
Naumenko emphasized that the key conditions for Ukrainians’ return are security, economic development, availability of jobs, and affordable housing. She also noted that this process will not be quick and may take years or even decades.
“It will probably be decades when they or their children will return. But if the economy develops, if the state can ensure security for its citizens, then they will return. Therefore, our main task now is not to lose contact with our citizens abroad. This is precisely why we started expanding the network of our diplomatic missions abroad,” she explained.
Separately, the head of the SMS stressed the importance of maintaining ties with Ukrainians abroad. For this purpose, the state is expanding the network of diplomatic and consular institutions.
In her opinion, Ukrainians abroad can become an important resource for the country’s development in the future, as they will bring new experience, knowledge, and vision.
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