Kyiv urges EU to stop supporting Ukrainian refugees — media

El Pais reported the information.

The article highlights that the full-scale Russian invasion in February 2022 drove millions of Ukrainians to flee the country. Between six and ten million remain abroad, but the government wants them back. Ukraine needs its people: the nation was already facing a demographic crisis, and the war has only worsened it. To tackle this, the newly created Ministry of National Unity has been tasked with the difficult mission of bringing citizens home.

Sociologist Olha Pishchulina from the Razumkov Center explains that people’s return depends on certain conditions, many of which are currently impossible to meet due to ongoing daily bombings. The most obvious factor is security. But a stable economy and social opportunities are also essential. Those abroad also expect access to quality education and healthcare.

Olena Babakova, a Ukrainian journalist and migration expert at Wisła University in Warsaw, adds that high housing costs, broken relationships after long separations, and feeling like outsiders compared to those who stayed during the war are major barriers to returning.

“Kyiv is exploring various ways to address the issue. It suggests that EU countries stop supporting refugees as a pressure tactic and restrict access to consular services for men of military age,” the report states.

At the same time, the government is working to maintain ties with those who left. Legislative reforms are part of this effort — last week, parliament approved the first reading of a bill recognizing dual citizenship, the article notes.

A UNHCR study published in November found that 61% of refugees still hope to return once conditions improve.

However, according to the Polish central bank data cited by El Pais, 39% of refugees in Poland want to stay long-term or permanently. Among those who left for economic reasons before the war, this figure rises to 61%. Reasons for wanting to return include struggles to find jobs matching their skills, a lack of belonging abroad, and family ties — especially elderly parents — back in Ukraine.

Experts believe Ukraine could encourage returns by offering incentives like income tax exemptions for the first three years, mortgage subsidies, and education grants. In their view, these would be far more effective than asking the EU to cut support for refugees.

The article underscores Ukraine’s urgent need for workers due to a demographic crisis that began in 1991, worsened by the war and mass emigration. The government’s demographic strategy, adopted in September, acknowledges that 1.3 to 3.3 million people may not return and emphasizes finding solutions.

• Earlier this month, Ukraine's Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal announced efforts to bring back refugees from Germany.