Ukraine’s Ministry of Economy names 5 steps for return of Ukrainians from abroad

Minister of Economy Yulia Svyrydenko wrote about this in her column for NV.

The official emphasized that security, housing, and work are key factors that can encourage Ukrainians to go home.

"The problem Ukraine is facing is unprecedented. This is the largest migration crisis since the Second World War. According to the latest UN data, more than 6.24 million Ukrainian refugees are registered in different countries around the world, mostly women with children who have settled in the EU. We are aware that the longer they stay outside the country, the more they take root in new places," Svyrydenko wrote.

She cited data from sociologists that most Ukrainians do not plan to return while the war is ongoing, but 68% of respondents see their future in their homeland after the victory.

According to the official, the cessation of shelling, the liberation of territories and rapid demining will give Ukrainians a sense of security. And this is the first step towards the return of refugees.

The second step is to provide people with housing. To this end, the government has launched the eOselia mortgage lending program, Svyrydenko said.

"Affordability of own housing is the main issue for the decision to return. Especially for those whose homes were destroyed by shelling or remained under occupation," she emphasized.

The third step is to provide people with jobs.

In order to fill the shortage of professionals, employers have started to raise salaries.

"Realizing that there is a shortage of personnel in certain specialties, employers are already raising salaries. The average monthly salary for vacancies, according to work.ua, is UAH 17,104. This situation shows that there is work, especially for skilled workers," Svyrydenko wrote.

She also recalled that training and retraining programs are available in Ukraine.

"For those who want to retrain, we have training and retraining programs. These are more than 360 training courses in 95 working professions at the Vocational Education Centers of the State Employment Service. There is also an opportunity to receive a voucher for training in the amount of UAH 27,000 at the institution and in the specialty of the person's choice," the minister said.

The fourth step is to create conditions for doing business.

"Ukraine should become a hub where any business idea can be realized. Then people will come back here. This is what the eRobota program has been doing for over a year," Svyrydenko said.

According to her, 8,500 Ukrainians have already received funds for business development or creation. They will create almost 30,000 new jobs.

The last step is to involve people who have gained unique experience abroad in postwar reconstruction so that they feel needed and useful.

• Human Rights Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets said that more than 8 million Ukrainians have become refugees. Of these, more than 5 million have applied for temporary resident status in neighboring Western European countries.
• On September 13, the head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, announced further assistance to Ukrainian refugees in the EU.
• On September 28, the EU extended temporary protection for Ukrainians until March 2025.