The willingness of Ukrainians to return home depends on a number of factors, including financial issues, problems with housing and work, and fear for their lives and health. Find out which part of refugees plans to return to Ukraine, when and under what conditions

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Two years into the full-scale war in Ukraine, the issue of the return of millions of Ukrainians temporarily living abroad remains extremely acute. However, the latest United for Ukraine survey "Ukrainians' Readiness to Return Home" shows that the majority of Ukrainians need social support and protection in order to successfully reintegrate into Ukrainian society.

The UFU survey was conducted to find out the attitudes and needs of Ukrainians living abroad in connection with their possible return to Ukraine. This survey is part of the Homecoming initiative aimed at supporting temporarily displaced persons and Ukrainians who are planning a voluntary return home.

What percentage of Ukrainians are ready to return to Ukraine, when and under what conditions - read more in the article.

Do Ukrainians plan to return home?

UFU surveyed Ukrainians currently living in different countries of Europe and the world about their readiness to return to Ukraine, as well as the factors that influence their decision and the needs for support and assistance in the return process.

Thus, according to the survey:

– 28% of Ukrainians plan to return to Ukraine despite the war;

– 62% of respondents plan to return after the war ends;

– 10% of respondents do not plan to return and will stay in the country where they are now.

The study showed that 62% of Ukrainians want to return exclusively to their region. Only 38% consider living in another region of Ukraine after returning.

Where do Ukrainians plan to return to and what is their housing situation?

According to the survey:

– 55% plan to return to their own housing;

– 17% plan to return and rent housing.

At the same time, 16% of respondents said that they plan to return, but their housing is currently in the occupied zone, and another 13% of respondents indicated that their housing was destroyed or damaged by the war.

It should be noted that the majority of respondents to the questionnaire lived in Kyiv region (approximately 24% of all respondents). Other regions included: Kharkiv (13%), Dnipro (11%), Donetsk (11%), Kherson (7%), Odesa (4%), and Luhansk (4%) regions. Thus, the overall picture shows that the majority of respondents have their place of residence in the regions that are closer to the combat zone.

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What do Ukrainians need to return home?

The study showed that refugees need financial, psychological, and legal support to successfully reintegrate into Ukrainian society. In addition, they need help with employment and temporary housing to return. Thus:

– approximately 43% of respondents expressed a need for financial assistance. As noted in the study, this may be due to the lack of financial means to meet their living needs and reintegrate into Ukrainian society, in particular, given the cost of living, transportation and other necessary expenses.

– approximately 22% of respondents expressed a need for psychological assistance. This may be due to the traumatic events they experienced during the war, their state of stress and instability, as well as the need for psychological support in adapting to new conditions.

– approximately 15% of respondents expressed a need for legal or legal assistance. This may be due to legal issues that arise during return and reintegration, such as obtaining documents, protecting their rights, etc.

At the same time, a significant number of respondents (approximately 56% and 30%, respectively) expressed a need for employment and temporary housing. This indicates the need to stabilize their lives and meet basic needs for their own accommodation and salary.

So, in general, returning to Ukraine is an aspiration for the majority of respondents, as stated by 90% of respondents. However, among those who plan to return, 54% need help with employment.

What stops Ukrainians from returning home?

As part of the survey, Ukrainians answered questions about their main fears and other factors that stop them from returning home. Thus, one of the key barriers to returning to Ukraine is the lack of work and income. However, there are other reasons as well, and the answers of the respondents are given below:

"Fear, lack of understanding of the future, finances"

"The need for constant rehabilitation of a child with a disability, the risk of shelling, the unfavorable economic situation, difficulties with the children's adaptation to school, persecution for their own opinion"

"The house is located in the combat zone, the city is under heavy shelling every day, half of the city is destroyed."

"Kherson is a frontline city, there is shelling every day. There is no work. It's not an option now. And in another city in Ukraine, I will need to rent an apartment, it is very expensive and I have no money. I also have no job."

"My husband is at the front, in the east. I don't dare to return with two small children and be alone, even though I have no place to live. But as soon as he can change location and be with us, we will return."

In conclusion, the development of programs and initiatives to support Ukrainians in employment, professional adaptation and social integration is an important task for the further development of Ukrainian society.

United for Ukraine's research "Ukrainians' Readiness to Return Home" was conducted with the support of the Visit Ukraine, LOBBY X, Caritas, "Ми сила", Krisenchat, Helping to Leave, Meta.

We remind you! The majority of Ukrainian refugees who decided to return home came from countries directly bordering Ukraine. In particular, a significant number of returns were recorded from Poland, where almost half of the Ukrainians who emigrated there decided to return home. Read more about other countries from which refugees who left southern Ukraine are leaving and returning in our previous article.

Photo: Getty Images

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