Ukrainian refugees may be in Europe for good

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1. The European Union’s “temporary protection” scheme, which offers the bloc’s 4.3m Ukrainian refugees access to housing, employment and benefits, is due to expire next March. But whether or not the eu’s programme is extended (for a second time), Ukrainians in exile are increasingly giving up on the idea of going home.

   According to a recent study by the Centre for Economic Strategy (ces), a Ukrainian research group, only 43% of the refugees worldwide plan on returning, versus 74% two years earlier. For many, what matters is not only when the war ends, but how.

   The growing prospect of a ceasefire without Ukrainian membership in nato or the eu, along with continued Russian occupation of a fifth of the country, does not inspire much confidence. Many Ukrainians fear Russia would attack again soon.

   Ukrainian women, who form the bulk of the war refugees, were once widely expected to go home after the war. Today it is more plausible that an end to martial law would lead even more Ukrainians, especially men of military age who are currently barred from travel, to exit the country. The ces study says that over 500,000 men could leave. Because that would be catastrophic for Ukraine’s labour market, and for its capacity to defend itself, the country will hesitate to ease restrictions.

   Anzhelika, a music teacher from Vinnytsia, in central Ukraine, cleans homes and packs clothes at a warehouse in Krakow. Like millions of Ukrainians in Europe, she faces an unenviable choice. To stay in Poland would mean more time away from her husband, who cannot leave Ukraine. To go back would be to gamble with her two children’s future. “Even if the war ends now, it will start again,” she says. “Under these circumstances, what kind of mother would want to take her son back to Ukraine?”

2. Ucrania (si es que sale Viva de La guerra) aNecesita eliminar la corrupcion y realizar reformas para la reeconstruccion del pais.

3. I think many of the refugees will return to ukraine if peace will be achieved wheter its Donald Trump’s “deal” or something the EU leaders can come up with, but if the war continues and most refuse to return or have a family in their country their staying. Plans must be made to integrate them in society, or the same refuge crisis will appear again.

   But it seems the EU does a good work at helping them integrate to [society](https://www.eurofound.europa.eu/en/publications/2024/social-impact-migration-addressing-challenges-receiving-and-integrating-ukrainian)

4. Do refugees ever go home en masse?

5. The EU could consider moving them to other places like Rwanda. A friend of mine married a Ukrainian, and she moved to the Philippines.

6. Which refugee group ever turned back home?

   I think that’s a serious fundamental mistake in the refugee system. Refugee status is supposed to be temporary, not a permanent relocation.

   How are countries ever going to be built up again if everybody just stays away? This should be fixed.

7. Weird article headline. Ukraine is also in Europe.

8. Better they are in Europe than under Russian occupation. This is why a just peace is so important, otherwise these people will justifiably never feel Ukraine is safe enough to return to.

9. Actually this scenario has been played by Zelensky in his movie “Servant of the People”; after signing a free visa agreement with the EU, the next day all Ukrainians are gone, except for him.

   I would argue that even if Ukraine gets a better peace deal and could join the EU, Ukrainians would still migrate to the EU, and given that current refugees are there for many years, they are not likely to return to their destroyed homeland!

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