The Czech Republic, Germany and Poland plan to organize aid centers for the return of Ukrainian refugees home
The relevance of the issue of the return of Ukrainian refugees has become especially acute in the conditions of a long war and the need to rebuild the country. According to the UN, more than 6.7 million Ukrainians are currently abroad, in particular in European Union countries such as the Czech Republic, Germany and Poland. At the same time, the government of Ukraine recognizes that for post-war recovery and economic growth, the country needs a significant number of working population. This causes the need to find effective mechanisms for citizens to return home.
Creation of refugee return centers
The idea of creating special return centers designed to help Ukrainians organize the process of returning to their homeland is being discussed in the Czech Republic, Germany and Poland. As informs the Czech publication Deník N, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Czech Republic confirmed its intentions to cooperate with Ukraine on the creation of such centers. Their task will be not only to facilitate the return of refugees, but also to perform the functions of cultural and public centers where Ukrainians can receive informational support and help with employment.
Next week, this issue will be discussed during the visit of the Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine Oleksiy Chernyshov to the Czech Republic. The Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Czech Republic believes that such initiatives will contribute to the gradual return of Ukrainians to their homes, which is important both for Ukraine and for countries that currently accept refugees.
The position of Ukraine regarding refugees
According to the position of the Ukrainian government, refugees returning home may be exempted from mobilization. In particular, they plan to attract them to work in the defense industry, which is an important step to ensure the recovery of the national economy. At the same time, Ukraine is trying to avoid coercive measures, preferring economic and social incentives.
However, the problem of returning Ukrainians is complicated by the fact that many of them have integrated into their host countries: they have found work, receive social assistance and find the new environment more comfortable. According to President Volodymyr Zelenskyi, some Western countries are interested in keeping employed Ukrainians who pay taxes, but are ready to return those who depend on social benefits.
Ukraine is currently facing the risk of losing a large part of its population abroad. Unity Minister Oleksiy Chernyshov previously stated that the government is considering mechanisms for attracting Ukrainians to work at enterprises with the possibility of reservation from mobilization. In addition, in December 2024, Ukraine called on EU countries to discuss radical measures to stimulate the return of refugees.
Reconstruction of Ukraine requires significant human resources: according to estimates, 3.1 to 4.5 million workers are needed to achieve annual economic growth of 7%. Total post-war reconstruction costs are projected to be $411 billion, several times the country’s pre-war GDP.
Therefore, the return of Ukrainian refugees is extremely important for the future recovery of Ukraine. This problem requires coordinated cooperation between the government, international partners and Ukrainian communities abroad.
