With the beginning of the full-scale invasion in February 2022, a large part of Ukrainians was forced to move from their permanent places of residence in Ukraine. Some due to the impossibility of living in their own city due to hostilities, some lost their homes due to destruction, and some homes fell under occupation. Also, another part simply began to look for a better life abroad. The trend of migration of Ukrainians
With the beginning of the full-scale invasion in February 2022, a large part of Ukrainians was forced to move from their permanent places of residence in Ukraine. Some due to the impossibility of living in their own city due to hostilities, some lost their homes due to destruction, some homes fell under occupation. Also, another part simply began to look for a better life abroad.
The trend of Ukrainian migration abroad was observed even before the war, but it was not massive, and in general, such citizens were prepared for the difficulties that awaited them, and some of them were already prepared because this was not their first trip abroad and local connections, knowledge of the language, or work there already provided a certain stability in the new place.
Currently, according to the Temporary Special Commission on IDPs, there are about eight million Ukrainians abroad, of which more than five million are in the countries of the European Union.
In this article, we analyzed the trend of Ukrainians returning from abroad – without waiting for the end of the war. We also collected 8 main reasons why Ukrainians return home with the words “even the war and shelling are not scary, compared to the problems we faced abroad.”
Why is it difficult for Ukrainians to live abroad?
Most Ukrainian refugees who have found their way to other countries since the beginning of the full-scale invasion have already faced the realization from the first days of a completely different environment that does not understand you, and you cannot understand it. This is the first reason and the problem that meets you and does not let go until the very end.
1. Language barrier
Although English is the language of international communication, just like our people, foreigners abroad sometimes have very poor command of even the basic level of English or German. If our compatriots, for various historical and economic reasons, have not been able to study a foreign language qualitatively and perfectly. Then foreigners abroad, on the contrary, have their own completely different fundamental reasons, because of which they do not want or even will not be happy to communicate in foreign languages of international communication.
For example, the Spaniards say that Christopher Columbus discovered America, and he spoke Spanish, so it is the Americans and the English who should learn Spanish. And Spanish is currently the second most common native language in the world, spoken by over 500 million people worldwide, plus a huge cultural influence (Latin America with its literature, music, etc.). The same can be said about Portuguese, a language of global importance (from the American continent – Brazil).
Many of them think: “We have our own great language, why do I need English?” This is not hatred, but rather linguistic patriotism. Added to this is the historical and psychological factor (again, for example, Spain) – there is a certain residual complex after the loss of superpower status in the 17th-18th centuries, when Britain became the dominant power. Some Spaniards (especially the older generation) perceive English as the language of “former colonizers and competitors.” This is not a mass phenomenon, but it does creep in and provoke. So the locals are not enthusiastic about migrants who are unwilling to quickly assimilate and learn their language.
The tourist experience of English and German travelers has long proven how often they find themselves in an awkward position because they don’t try to speak even basic Spanish, expecting all locals to know English. This irritates the locals: “They come to us – let them at least teach us ‘gracias’ (meaning ‘ thank you ‘).”
2. Documents
Almost every week we hear that somewhere in some country they are planning or will soon terminate “temporary status” or “asylum” for refugees with Ukrainian passports. Which poses a problem with the status of further legal stay, and this in turn affects the quality of life for the possibility of renting good housing, sending children to kindergarten or school, receiving public services or even medical care.
Without the help of lawyers or relatives, understanding local laws and legalizing is sometimes an impossibly difficult problem. The first reason we wrote about above adds even more complexity, which is the language barrier in countries where English or another language of international communication is not widely spoken.
3. Finances and work
This reason and problem is a consequence and continuation of the second problem that we wrote about above. The abolition of the status of “refugee” or “person in need of support” leads to the loss of guaranteed funding and housing. As is known, the cost of renting housing in EU countries or America is extremely high compared to the cities of Ukraine, even the capital. The cost of housing for a family of two people ranges from 700 euros to 3,000-4,000 thousand in wealthy countries. Added to this are food and recreation, which also require funding of 500 euros per person or couple per month.
Getting the desired salary to cover all your needs on your own is a problem due to the two problems we described above, as well as the fact that foreign countries often do not accept our educational documents and experience gained in similar companies or positions in Ukraine, and then the only way out is difficult, low-paid specialties in auxiliary jobs or factories where the shift lasts 8-10 hours with physically extremely difficult work that not everyone can do. However, even this difficult physical work process will only cover the basic needs of rent and a very limited ration.
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4. Psychological pressure and adaptation
Uncertainty about the future, in a country where you are a stranger to everyone, and your future depends only on two or three people around you (usually the closest relatives or Ukrainian acquaintances), you begin to feel the psychological pressure of loneliness and the lack of an environment for interaction, contacts, and personal development. It is difficult to find a soul mate for single men or women, it is difficult to find friends, comrades, or like-minded people due to the mentality and language barrier. Different upbringing and desire with foreigners to be masters on their land generate a constant feeling of “second-classness” as if you will never become one of them here, but constantly remain someone who wants to become like them, dulling your own personality, life story, and aspirations.
Why is returning to a warring country better than life in exile for many Ukrainians?
“Life abroad is much more hell than life under shelling…”
This is how Ukrainian singer Olena Topolya commented on her return in an interview with TSN .
In the uncertain situation of 2022, many have “gone” abroad as a call to self-defense instincts, when it is better to wait out any dangerous scenarios from a safe distance. And the greater this distance, the more difficult it is to maintain social contact with family, loved ones, friends, and loved ones, who are also often military, medics, engineers, and are on the front line defending the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, every day without rest and with a real enemy. They also need support from the rear, which is separated by a great distance, and often also by time zones, completely leveling the connection, and thereby weakening not only family unity, but also the power of the country as a whole, which the enemy is seeking.
“You are nobody abroad, and there is no way to call you,” – the words of Honored Artist of Ukraine Tetyana Piskareva in an interview with Marichka Padalko
In an interview, she told how she started getting sick due to stress in a foreign country. And here is another reason why Ukrainians return, it is the need for constant quick access to quality medical care. Due to the stress that each of us has, our body needs quality medical diagnostics and treatment more than ever. As those who have already been or are currently abroad know, the service in many areas there is far from perfect and often with very long delays. It is almost impossible to get “non-emergency” medical care every day in some countries. At best, you will be booked to see a doctor in a month and the cost of the examination or, God forbid, treatment will be covered by insurance, if you have it (medical procedures are very expensive and sometimes simply beyond your means).
Without insurance, which is also not cheap, and takes up part of your budget every month, you will not be able to use medical services. Therefore, everyone who cares about their health and wants to keep abreast of the state of their health with prompt provision of all necessary medical care at a reasonable price chooses to be examined in Ukraine, especially dentistry, dermatology, back diseases, heart diseases, pediatrics, etc.
Even despite the war, constant shelling, anxiety, Ukraine continues to live and raise children, of course we all want a better future for our youngest and dearest, but often children, especially those of more mature age, experience the greatest problems with adaptation abroad. In schools and other educational institutions, a young person who is being established as a person seeks attention, mutual understanding and interaction among peers, but language, cultural and other barriers do not provide the desired environment for the social development of Ukrainian children. Therefore, parents return to safe regions of Ukraine for a better environment for the development of young Ukrainian personalities in their own country, where they are not strangers, and peers are not enemies.
There are also those who saw how it was there, matured, reconsidered and want to work for their own economy, develop their own, open their own business in Ukraine. So there is currently a large shortage of personnel in many areas. Employers offer significant salaries and are even ready to compete for an employee.
Compared to some European countries, where Ukrainians are practically free labor (for the minimum wage) in difficult working positions (field, factory, warehouse, etc.). And what is more, in the conditions of the difference in the cost of living is strongly felt abroad and in Ukraine, is an advantage (the average cost of housing in Ukraine for a couple, even in the capital fluctuates at the level of 300 – 500 US dollars) in addition, many have surviving unoccupied or vacant real estate (housing) in Ukraine and do not require additional financial expenses for living, which allows you to avoid up to 55-60-70% of costs compared to renting housing abroad.
What do we need to do now to encourage even more active return of Ukrainians home?
It’s good to go there to relax, travel, but it’s still better to live here. This is the principle we should be guided by today. Currently, the trend towards returning is only growing, our goal is to support it and stimulate it even more: by buying Ukrainian, helping Ukrainians return, welcoming such a return at the state level by providing various benefits from grants for their own business to housing or compensation for its cost. So that Ukrainians in Ukraine are the highest priority. Each of us will gain from this, because this is additional personnel, economic resources, production of our own, promotion of the brand of strong and independent Ukrainians who, despite the most difficult conditions, were able to become better and create a strong and economically and culturally attractive country in Europe at home without leaving anywhere.
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