How many refugees want to return to Ukraine after 2 years of war: UN survey
The UN Refugee Agency has conducted a study and found out how many Ukrainians want to return to Ukraine after two years of full-scale invasion. Find out more about how many citizens plan to come home
About two-thirds of refugees from Ukraine have expressed a desire to eventually return to their homeland, according to a recent analysis by the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR). This is reported by unhcr.org.
It is noted that the organization interviewed more than 9900 households (including about 4000 abroad) in January and February 2024.
Read here how many Ukrainians returned to Ukraine in 2023.
Ukrainian refugees plan to return home: details
According to the UNHCR, more than 6.5 million Ukrainian refugees are currently seeking protection in different parts of the world, while approximately 3.7 million people remain displaced within the country.
The overwhelming majority of the survey participants expressed a desire to return to their homeland in the future. Among those who are currently abroad, there were 65% of them (6% plan to do so in the coming months), and among displaced persons within the country - 72% (5% in the coming months). It is noted that over the year, the number of people with such plans has decreased from 77% and 84%, respectively.
In 2024, 11% of refugees and 15% of displaced persons do not intend to return home.
Among IDPs currently abroad, the majority of those who wish to return live in countries bordering Ukraine (75%), while a smaller percentage (62%) are among those further afield in Europe.
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Why do Ukrainians not want to return home?
The biggest obstacle to returning was the unstable security situation in their homeland. Respondents also complained about the lack of jobs and housing. Of those who have already tried to return, 55% faced employment problems that turned out to be more serious than they expected.
Almost 60% of respondents admitted that they could be forced to return home even during the conflict if they encountered difficulties in finding a job or with their legal status in the host countries.
Additional research has shown that persons with disabilities and other vulnerable groups also consider return, often due to limited alternatives.
In addition, there has been a recent increase in the number of fugitives visiting Ukraine for short-term visits: this year, there are 50% more such cases than in the previous year. Mostly, they travel to see relatives or to inspect their property. These visits may contribute to a decision to return in the future when conditions become favorable.
Remember! When planning a trip to Ukraine, first of all, you need to take care of the appropriate insurance policy, because any foreign insurance automatically terminates after crossing the Ukrainian border. In this case, we recommend that you take out insurance specifically covering military risks, which will cover not only standard medical care/treatment/diagnosis, etc. but also accidents and injuries caused by passive or direct military risks.
You can take out such insurance on the Visit Ukraine website. Follow the link and choose an insurance policy with the appropriate coverage and indemnity amount for the required period.
We remind you! The imposed martial law on the territory of Ukraine does not prohibit entry, but it does impose some other restrictions. Read what you need for a safe trip and what nuances you should consider when planning a trip to Ukraine during the war in our previous article.
Photo: REUTERS
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The simultaneous stay of visitors in the hotel lobby not more than one person per 10 square meters of serviceable area is allowed.
Persons can visit hotels and stay there (outside hotel room) only if they wear respirator or face mask (including homemade mask), so that the nose and mouth are covered.
Hotel guests are obliged to keep the 1.5 meters distance.
Online check-in making in advance is recommended to avoid queues at check-in to hotel.
Meals in hotels are provided through meals delivery service to rooms upon prior order or at hotel restaurants situated inside or in open areas, provided the distance of at least 1.5 meters between seats at adjacent tables.
Not more than 4 clients are allowed to stay at the table (excluding children under 14 years old). Unless these tables are separated by a special partition;
Self-serve is not allowed.