It’s Not Just About Safety: Libanova Identified the Main Factor Behind Ukrainians’ Return
4 August 20:11
YOUTUBE
Once the war ends, Ukrainians’ decision to return home will depend on more than just the security situation. The availability of housing and jobs, the adaptation of children, and the prospects for life in Ukraine will be decisive factors. Ella Libanova, director of the Institute of Demography and Social Research at the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, stated this in an interview with the YouTube channel "Komersant Ukrainian".
According to the demographer, sociological studies show that people’s willingness to return is influenced, among other things, by how the war ends.
“Let me give an example. During a survey, people were asked whether they would return if the war ended along the current line of demarcation, or if Ukraine were to restore its 1991 borders. In the second scenario, 25% more people were willing to return,” Libanova said.
She explained that a significant portion of Ukrainians view ending the war along the demarcation line as merely a temporary pause.
“Because everyone understands that the current line of demarcation amounts to a frozen conflict,” she added.
However, even after hostilities cease, Ukrainians will not decide to return immediately. First and foremost, they will assess their own living conditions.
“People will compare what they have there with what they’ll have here. They’ll check whether their homes are still standing or have been destroyed, whether they have housing abroad, whether there will be work in Ukraine, whether they already have a job there, how their children have adapted, and whether they feel comfortable in their new surroundings,” she added.
The demographer emphasized that there is another pattern: the longer the war lasts, the less likely Ukrainians are to return.
“The longer the war lasts, the smaller the percentage of those who return,” she says.
According to her, every year more and more Ukrainians are integrating into life in other countries: they find jobs, settle into their new lives, and their children adapt to new schools and societies.
“That is precisely why, once the war ends, the return of a significant portion of citizens will depend not only on security but also on whether Ukraine can offer them the conditions for a normal life and work,” Libanova concluded.
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