Over a third of forced migrants from Ukraine intend to stay in EU – survey

Due to war-related circumstances, approximately one-third of Ukrainians currently residing in European countries desire to return to their home country. At the same time, the majority of these individuals intend to remain abroad.

The survey conducted by the European Union Agency for Fundamental Human Rights (FRA) provides evidence of this.

As reported, during the survey, respondents aged 16+ were asked about their plans for the future.

• 35% of respondents said they plan to return home,
• 37% would like to stay in the host country,
• 23% have not yet decided on their plans,
• about 4% plan to move to another place.

Forced migrants are primarily satisfied with living conditions in Europe

As sociologists emphasize:

• 58% of respondents lived in a private apartment or house at the time of the survey. More than half of them fully or partially paid for accommodation;
• many Ukrainians in Bulgaria (40%), Hungary (24%), and the Czech Republic (18%) stayed in hotels or apartments for recreation;
• in Germany, 30%, and in Italy, 21% of respondents lived in housing provided by the authorities.

^{Refugees' plans. Photo: FRA}

• 36% of respondents named the lack of privacy at home as a housing-related problem,
• 28% are forced to share the kitchen with other people,
• 24% are forced to share a bathroom.

Only 5% said they do not feel safe in their home, and 3% feel unsafe in their neighborhood.

"It is worth noting that most adult respondents live with dependent children. They often live in housing where there is no quiet or separate room for children where they could study," the scientists say.

Respondents were asked to rate their living conditions on a ten-point scale during the survey.

^{Assessment of living conditions Photo: FRA}

• About four in 10 respondents (43%) scored an eight or higher, which means they are satisfied;
• 6% scored two or below; that is, they were dissatisfied.

Approximately one-third of respondents indicate that their health is good or excellent

During the survey, Ukrainians were asked to rate their own state of health as very good, good, satisfactory, bad, or very bad:

• on average, the majority of respondents rated their health condition as satisfactory (45%);
• almost a third of respondents (31%) consider their state of health to be good or very good;
• 52% of respondents noted a long-standing illness or health problem.

Approximately 50% of those surveyed aged 16 or older experienced difficulty accessing medical care due to language barriers or a lack of knowledge regarding the places to apply for medical assistance.

^{The state of health of Ukrainians in EU countries. Photo: FRA}

"Now everything is relatively good, but I can't cope with worries, nightmares, and anxiety. I want to go home," a 19-year-old immigrant from Ukraine in Poland was quoted as saying in the survey.

Overall, 24% of respondents reported feeling relaxed either always or often, while 22% said they had never experienced this state. Furthermore, women reported feeling relaxed 10% less often than men.

Refugees with children are also less likely to always or often feel relaxed than those without children (18% vs. 29%).

Almost every second respondent (49%) always or often felt down and depressed after arriving in another country. Among women, this indicator was 54%, and among men – 35%.

For reference:

The EU Agency for Fundamental Human Rights (FRA) surveyed in the EU countries most affected by the mass emigration of people from Ukraine. The survey covered refugees, including many children, in 10 EU member states (Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Germany, Italy, Spain, and Estonia) that host many people registered for temporary protection.

14,685 respondents took part in the survey. Most respondents are women aged 18-64 (87%). Men of this age made up only 8% of respondents. The sample also included children aged 12-17 (2%) and respondents aged 65+ (3%).