Less than half of Ukrainian refugees plan to return home after the war, a study finds

The share of Ukrainian refugees who do not plan to return home has risen to 36%, up from 9% in November 2022.

This is stated in a study by the Center for Economic Strategy.

According to the study, the percentage of those who plan to return is also declining rapidly: in the first year of the war 74% planned to return, whereas now it is only 43%.

Another about 20% were unable to decide. In total, around 5.6 million Ukrainians remain outside the country, most of them in European countries.

Experts note that attitudes are shaped by the protracted war, economic uncertainty, and security concerns. Many refugees doubt the prospects for a rapid economic recovery and stable political conditions at home, so after several years living in the EU they prefer to build their future where conditions and employment are more predictable.

As a reminder, after March 2027 the European Union will scale back support programs for Ukrainian refugees.

Meanwhile, Germany has tightened asylum rules but simplified access to the labor market for refugees. And Germany’s Interior Ministry advises Ukrainian refugees who want to stay to start changing their status on their own now and apply for a residence permit.