Since the beginning of the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, over 9 million Ukrainians have left their country to seek refuge abroad, the vast majority of which do not plan to return to Ukraine after the end of the war.

In the last four and a half months, Ukrainians have been fleeing mainly to Poland (4.6 million), Hungary (950,000), Romania (830,000), Slovakia (590,000), and Moldova (530,000).

A recent survey commanded by Do Rzeczy reveals that 74% of the 4,900 Ukrainian refugees settled in Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, and Moldova do not plan to go back home anytime soon. 

65% of the respondents said they plan to eventually stay in the country where they currently reside, while 9% want to settle in another country. This would mean that 6 million Ukrainians would remain in the EU once the conflict is over.

According to the survey, 16% of Ukrainian refugees plan to return to Ukraine in the next two months, but for a short period, in most cases, just to visit friends or relatives or even to settle some private business.

One of the main factors determining a possible return will be the degree of security in the country, while people from Kyiv or western Ukraine are more likely to return than those originating from the eastern and southern parts of the country. In the latter regions, many towns and cities have been destroyed. Also, Russian forces are expected to occupy the area for a long time to come.

Image: Unsplash

Author: Sébastien Meuwissen