The government expects the return of about 30% of Ukrainian refugees, provided that the security situation in the country stabilizes

The return of Ukrainian refugees is one of the most important socio-economic challenges facing the country. The war forced millions of Ukrainians to seek safety abroad, but now that Ukraine is strengthening its security position, the question of the return of these people is becoming increasingly acute. This is not only a question of demographic stability, but also of economic development, reconstruction of infrastructure and preservation of the nation’s cultural identity.

Minister of National Unity Oleksiy Chernyshov stated, that the government expects the return of about 30% of Ukrainians who left the country after the beginning of the full-scale invasion of the Russian Federation. At the event “War 2025. Weapons, people, money”, organized by “Ukrainian Pravda”, he emphasized that this will become possible if the security situation in the country is stabilized.

“After Ukraine acquires security measures, when security in the country becomes stable, we expect that 30% of Ukrainians will return, that they will very seriously consider returning,” Chernyshov said.

The government is already working on specific models that will encourage Ukrainians to return. It is expected that such initiatives will be developed already this year. At the same time, Chernyshov admitted that a significant part of Ukrainians decided to stay abroad, and this should also be perceived as a reality that is not catastrophic for the country.

The minister also emphasized that Ukraine loses approximately 300,000 citizens every year due to reasons not related to the war. Given the needs of post-war reconstruction and plans to double GDP over the next 10 years, the country will need to attract 3.1 to 4.2 million people, including both returnees and new immigrants.

For the effective return of citizens, Ukraine is studying the experience of countries such as Israel, Romania, Lithuania, Latvia and the countries of the Balkan region. These countries have already faced a large-scale population outflow and have developed various mechanisms to stimulate repatriation, which can be useful for the Ukrainian context.

The return of Ukrainian citizens is not only a challenge, but also an opportunity for the country. This is an opportunity to bring back qualified specialists, strengthen the economy and restore social unity. However, this requires not only security guarantees, but also a clear state policy aimed at creating decent conditions for living and working in Ukraine.