Ukraine calls on EU countries to take measures to return Ukrainians to the Motherland

Ukraine appealed to the countries of the European Union with a request to apply appropriate measures to facilitate the return of Ukrainians to the Motherland. Given the difficult economic situation and the challenges facing the country, the Ukrainian government believes that the return of citizens is one of the key aspects for the stabilization and reconstruction of the state.

The Government of Ukraine believes that the return of Ukrainians will contribute to the improvement of the economic situation, as they will bring with them the knowledge, experience and financial resources acquired abroad. In addition, a large number of returning citizens will help reduce demographic problems and ensure stability in regions that have experienced significant population losses.

Reaction of EU countries

Several European countries expressed their support and willingness to cooperate with Ukraine in this direction. In particular, representatives of Germany, Poland and Lithuania have already announced their intention to consider specific steps to implement this initiative.

For example, in June, a pilot project was launched in the Czech Republic to help Ukrainians who received temporary protection after the start of a full-scale invasion return home. This happened despite the fact that in 2024, Ukrainian refugees brought almost 3 billion crowns more to the Czech budget than was spent on helping them, as reported by the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs of the Czech Republic. There are similar initiatives in Norway and Switzerland. In addition, some countries are gradually reducing financial and social support for Ukrainian refugees.

Lithuania has decided to no longer cover the costs of education for Ukrainian students. This decision was made by the country’s government at the request of Kyiv, LRT reports. Those currently enrolled in higher education will be able to complete their studies for free. However, from September, new students from Ukraine will be subject to the same rules as Lithuanian students. After completing secondary education, they will take state exams in Lithuania and undergo the same general admission procedure as Lithuanian citizens, with the possibility of applying for budget places.

“We will organize all the necessary measures to help Ukrainian citizens living in Lithuania, in accordance with the needs of the Ukrainian state, in cooperation and without encouraging the brain drain from Ukraine. The Ukrainian side has expressed such a desire. There is no need to transfer education to another place for now, because in Ukraine has higher educational institutions”, – noted the Ministry of Education, Science and Sports of Lithuania.

Thus, the EU countries, without violating the legislation according to which they cannot forcefully send refugees home, show support for the Ukrainian authorities. There is a high probability that similar decisions regarding the reduction of various assistance for Ukrainians will gain momentum in the near future.

Expert opinion

Political expert Oleg Posternak believes that this can turn into a systemic process thanks to the work of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, which carries out the instructions of the Office of the President. Ukraine is facing a serious demographic problem.

“We are losing not only labor resources, but also the reproduction of an entire nation scattered across different EU countries. The European Union’s interest in preserving Ukrainian migrants causes concern among our authorities. Among the refugees, there are many who quickly adapt by learning a language, obtaining a European education, and a job. For Ukraine, the only rational way to return migrants is to turn to the governments of the EU countries.

On the other hand, when Ukraine becomes a member of the EU, the outflow of citizens cannot be avoided. In the European Union, our citizens will have the opportunity to find employment in other countries, and territorial mobility will become a natural result of European integration. What happened because of the war would still happen by 2030, when theoretically Ukraine can become a member of the EU. We just ran into this problem a little earlier.”– emphasized Posternak.