‘Half of the military migrants will not return to Ukraine’ – director of the Institute of Demography says

Ukraine is expected to successfully repatriate no more than half of its citizens who left the country due to the war.

This statement was made by Ella Libanova, the director of the Ptukha Institute for Demography and Social Studies, during the Human Capital UA forum.

Libanova stated, “Some of the war migrants will return. I hope we can bring back about half of them. More than that is unlikely.”

Libanova emphasized that the Ukrainian diaspora includes not only those who emigrated several generations ago but also citizens who left the country two years ago due to the war. She referred to them not as refugees but as migrants.

“They can provide us with not only investments; that’s not their only value. The most important thing is that they shape a positive image of Ukraine and Ukrainians abroad,” Libanova said.

According to various estimates, over six million Ukrainians became forced migrants due to the war, leading to a 22% reduction in the country’s workforce.