Migrants in Ukraine: from which countries can labour be recruited?

Due to a shortage of domestic workers, the country will have to recruit foreign workers on a large scale, following the successful pre-war model. Find out which nationalities will fill the vacancies and what will bring Europeans to us

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Ukraine already has a successful track record of attracting foreign workers, and this approach has proven its effectiveness. Today, one of the key questions is whether this scenario will be repeated once the war is over, and exactly who will help rebuild the country.

According to RBC-Ukraine, Ella Libanova, director of the M.V. Ptukha Institute of Demography and Social Studies at the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, has shared her predictions on how the foreign labour market will develop in the post-war period.

Which countries send workers to Ukraine for employment

According to Ella Libanova, even before the start of the full-scale invasion, Ukraine was attractive to foreign workers. The main flow of labour migrants consisted of citizens from Turkey and India.

In particular, Turkish specialists were actively involved in large-scale infrastructure projects, such as road construction. The demographer emphasises that this experience was entirely positive: the workers carried out their tasks to a high standard on a project basis.

As the expert notes: “So what, did they build the roads badly? Not at all. So what’s the issue with them? They came, they worked, they went back”.

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Who will come to work in Ukraine after the war

Overall, demographic forecasts suggest that in the future, labour migration to Ukraine will be driven mainly by citizens from poorer countries seeking financial stability.

However, this rule is not absolute. Turkey, which was one of the main suppliers of labour before the war, is ‘clearly no poorer than Ukraine’ in terms of economic development, but this did not prevent successful cooperation and labour exchange.

Will Europeans work in Ukraine

When assessing post-war prospects, experts express considerable optimism. In the event of rapid economic growth and a large-scale reconstruction boom, Ukraine’s labour market could become a magnet not only for residents of developing countries, but also for Europeans.

An influx of so-called “adventurers” from Europe is expected — qualified specialists seeking new challenges, unconventional experiences and opportunities for rapid career fulfilment. Participating in the recovery of an entire country following a major crisis is a unique opportunity for professionals. “Some will want to fulfil their potential and add a great entry to their CV — that’s important too,” concludes Ella Libanova.

Legal support is especially important for foreigners who are planning long-term residence, work, or business in Ukraine and want to secure their legal status as stably as possible and without unnecessary risks.

Reminder! The Cabinet of Ministers has approved a decision to expand the list of partner countries for obtaining dual citizenship under a simplified procedure to 33. Who is eligible for these new privileges and what are the mandatory conditions? Find out all the current requirements.

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