A quarter of Ukrainian refugees are going to settle permanently in Europe
18 October 2024 15:36
Almost a quarter of Ukrainian refugees in Europe plan to stay abroad permanently. These are the results of a survey conducted by the Centre for International Institutional Comparisons and Migration Studies at the Ifo Institute in Munich, reports "Komersant Ukrainian" with reference to DW.
According to the director of the Centre, Panu Poutvaara, about 35% of Ukrainian refugees want to return home as soon as the security situation improves. However, only 4% plan to do so in the near future, regardless of whether it is safe.
The survey also revealed that about 11% of refugees have already returned to Ukraine, while 25% have not yet decided on their plans. Ifo migration researcher Yvonne Giesing noted that the course of the war is a key factor for most Ukrainians: the longer the conflict lasts, the more people consider living outside Ukraine.
After the war began, only 10% of refugees said they wanted to settle abroad in the long term, Ifo added. However, by the end of 2023, this figure was growing by 1.6% every 100 days, while the number of those returning to Ukraine was growing by 2.7%. At the same time, about 60% of refugees at the beginning of the war planned to return to Ukraine as soon as they felt safe, but this share was decreasing by 4.7% per 100 days.
The survey was conducted in June 2024.
Earlier, in March, it was reported that only 21% of Ukrainian refugees in Germany plan to return home, while 77% intend to stay in the country for at least two more years, and 2% are considering moving to another country.
According to the UNHCR, the number of Ukrainian refugees in Europe was estimated at 5.954 million at the end of last year, and 6.357 million worldwide.
Of these, 4.31 million Ukrainian citizens were granted temporary protection in the EU.
Follow us on Telegram: the main news in a nutshell
What is temporary protection in the EU?
Due to Russia’s war against Ukraine, starting from 24 February 2022, Ukrainian citizens can apply for international protection in the European Union (asylum). Refugee status or subsidiary protection can be granted. At the same time, another tool has become relevant – “temporary protection” in one of the EU countries.
Temporary protection does not mean obtaining refugee status in accordance with the Convention relating to the Status of Refugees of 28 July 1951, which grants rights similar to a residence permit. However, persons who have been granted temporary protection in the EU may apply for refugee status at any time.
Temporary protection is a procedure that is applied only in the case of a massive or imminent mass influx of displaced persons from third countries who are unable to return to their country of origin. These persons are granted immediate and temporary protection, especially if there is a risk that the asylum system will not be able to handle the influx without adversely affecting its effective operation, in the interests of the persons concerned and other asylum seekers.
Follow us on Telegram: main news in a nutshell
