Far less than half will return home: migratory moods among Ukrainians abroad have become known

More than a third of Ukrainians have relatives who went abroad after the start of a full-scale Russian invasion and clearly plan to return home. This is stated in the report on the results of the study “Assessment of migration processes and moods”, conducted by the company “New Image Marketing Group” commissioned by the Ukrainian Institute of the Future.

According to the survey, 36% of Ukrainians have relatives who went abroad after February 24, 2022, and definitely plan to return home. Another 32% may return if there is work and it is safe. In 14% it is unlikely, because they are already beginning to settle in a new place. In 10%, they have not yet decided unambiguously.

Estimates of friends and acquaintances are somewhat different. Definitely plan to return - 29% of respondents. In 44% it is possible if there is work and it is safe. Hardly - in 15%.

Among the reasons influencing the decision to return home, most survey participants indicated family ties - 60%. In second place is the habitual way of life, the environment (46%). On the third - safety (42%).

This is followed by the presence of work, patriotism, failures in attempts to settle down abroad and care for children - the conviction that they should live and study in Ukraine.

Among the reasons influencing the decision not to return, life prospects are in the first place - 55%. On the second - safety (50%). On the third - availability of work (48%).

This is followed by concern for children - the desire that they “get a normal education and start a new life”, comfort, as well as the lack of fight against corruption and lustration of pro-Russian forces in Ukraine.

The survey was conducted on March 20-23 in different regions of Ukraine (except for settlements in the temporarily uncontrolled territories of Donetsk, Lugansk, Kherson, Zaporozhye regions, the Autonomous Republic of Crimea). It involved 1,200 adult respondents who were asked to complete an interactive online questionnaire. The statistical error does not exceed 2.89%.

People’s Deputy Vadim Denisenko commented on the situation based on the results of the study.

“The Russian Institute for the Future conducted a sociological survey of Ukrainians about migration sentiments. So, only 36% of Ukrainians say that their relatives intend to return to Ukraine. Another 31% can return if there is work. 22% do not plan to return at all. In short, under the most optimistic circumstances, only half of those who left will return to Ukraine (automatically adding 36+31 is, unfortunately, incorrect). Again, this is under the most optimistic circumstances. So far, the state does not think about this issue at all. There are not even bureaucratic movements like the creation of coordinating councils that no one needs. Unfortunately, hiding behind the war, you can do nothing, because the main principle of the Ukrainian bureaucrat at the moment boils down to the phrase: “this is not the time.” We are talking about the restoration and about the 700 billion “Marshall Plan”, but there is one “trifle”: we will not have enough people who can carry out this very restoration. The Institute for the Future has a number of developments on this issue. But there is one big problem: we cannot and should not replace the state. We are open for cooperation with all authorities. True, I’m afraid they’ll say to the umbrellas again: “this is not the time” ”he wrote on Facebook.

Earlier, FACTS wrote about whether refugees need to declare financial assistance abroad.