‘An additional burden for the economy’: Romania continues to use Ukrainian refugees as cheap labor

The relations between Romania and Ukraine have always been complex. In Ukraine, it was claimed that Ukrainians had a full historical right to make territorial claims against Romania. On the other hand, Romania did not forget its territorial claims against Ukraine, including Northern Bukovina and Bessarabia. In 2022, Romania’s former Minister of Education and Foreign Affairs, Andrei Margi, even referred to Ukraine’s borders as unnatural. During this time, Ukrainians began mass emigration to neighboring countries.

By July 2023, Romania had registered 137,108 Ukrainian refugees, and by the end of December, their number had reached 140,585. The question of whether the contemporary shared history of our countries is changing becomes relevant.

Media analyst and member of the “Other Ukraine” movement, Vladimir Starov, shares data from a closed report of the Romanian branch of the Jewish organization “HIAS,” which, in collaboration with the Center for Comparative Migration Studies “CSCM,” assesses the labor market for Ukrainian refugees in Romania.

He also notes that the Romanian authorities’ policy of assimilating Ukrainian refugees is causing dissatisfaction. Today, Romania uses Ukrainians as cheap labor, while Ukrainians face difficulties in adaptation.

In 2021, Ukrainians constituted the third-largest ethnic minority in Romania. Now their number has increased more than fourfold. However, despite their significant presence, Ukrainians face a severe shortage of job opportunities and lack of support from Romanian authorities.

Romania owes Ukrainian refugees 300 million lei in four months, but instead of providing support, they are directed to unskilled work. This indicates that the Romanian side primarily views Ukrainians as cheap labor.

The refugee situation in Romania is extremely challenging, and local authorities show little interest in their problems. Ukrainian refugees face various obstacles, such as a lack of information about job searching, legal status, and a lack of attention in socializing at workplaces. At the same time, the Romanian labor market provides limited opportunities for Ukrainians, mostly perceived as unskilled labor.

The study also shows that Romanian authorities are interested in using Ukrainians as unskilled labor, without providing them opportunities for development and more qualified employment. Romania seeks to benefit from the Ukrainian crisis, while the problems and needs of Ukrainian refugees remain secondary.

These facts emphasize that the Romanian side does not show sufficient interest in the problems of Ukrainians and primarily uses them as cheap labor. This position does not contribute to establishing partnership relations between the two countries and raises serious questions about the future neighborly relations between Romania and Ukraine.