Romashchenko, Ta as
A icle — Published Ve sion
Why he Bias wi hin Uk aine owa ds Fo ced Emig an s in
he EU is Deba able and Risky
Cu en Issues in Mig a ion Resea ch
Sugges ed Ci a ion: Romashchenko, Ta as (2025) : Why he Bias wi hin Uk aine owa ds Fo ced
Emig an s in he EU is Deba able and Risky, Cu en Issues in Mig a ion Resea ch, ISSN 3035-7500,
Malmo Ins i u e o S udies o Mig a ion (MIM), Malmö, Vol. 2, Iss. 1, pp. 1-4,
h ps://doi.o g/10.24834/cim .2025.1.1887
This Ve sion is a ailable a :
h ps://hdl.handle.ne /10419/331556
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Vol 2 (1) 2025
1
Abs ac : The Russian agg ession o ced millions o Uk ainians o lee
hei homes in sea ch o sa e y ou side Uk aine. Eu ope ook mos o
he e ugees – 6.3 million ou o almos 7 million eco ded globally. In
his con ex , he e u n o millions o e ugees o Uk aine will la gely
de e mine i s socio-economic eco e y in he pos -wa e a. Howe e ,
e-emig a ion en masse may be challenged due o he g owing ension
wi hin Uk ainian socie y wi h hose in Uk aine making in ole an
ema ks abou compa io s ab oad. Hence, he a icle poin s o media
examples o bias owa ds Uk ainian o ced mig an s on he pa o he
gene al public and au ho i ies. I is a gued ha such a i udes a e o en
g oundless and may also ha e ad e se implica ions o he u u e
e u n o Uk ainian e ugees and upcoming econs uc ion o he wa -
o n coun y. I is emphasised ha he go e nmen should mi iga e
such ension be ween Uk ainians in and ou side Uk aine by all a ailable
means. O he wise, millions o Uk ainians may emain in exile e en a e
he end o hos ili ies.
INTRODUCTION
The ull-scale in asion o Uk aine by Russian
occupa ion oops, which has been going on o
mo e han h ee yea s, has exace ba ed he
demog aphic c isis in he coun y. Since he s a o
he agg ession in Feb ua y 2022, mo e han 6.9
million Uk ainians ha e been o ced o lea e he
coun y, inding e uge mainly in EU coun ies.1 In
ac , Uk aine was in deep demog aphic decline long
be o e he ou b eak o an unjus wa . Fo many
easons, by 2022, i s popula ion had dec eased by
20% since 1991 – om 52 o 42 million.2 And as o
2025, he las igu e looks dis an and una ainable
ha ing dec eased o abou 34 million (including
hose li ing in he occupied e i o ies).3 Thus, in
ecen yea s, Uk aine has been apidly losing i s
popula ion and human capi al, wi hou which he
new Ma shall Plan o he econs uc ion o he
des oyed coun y looks e y dim.4 I is ha dly
expec ed ha a wa - o n e i o y wi h he highes
mo ali y5 and lowes bi h a e in he wo ld and
wi h c i ical labou sho ages6 will ecei e a lood o
o eign capi al and la ge in es men p ojec s o i s
economic and in as uc u al eco e y. The e o e,
wi hou millions o displaced Uk ainians e u ning
home, i will be ex emely challenging o implemen
ambi ious econs uc ion plans.
UNBALANCED DOMESTIC DISCOURSE
Ye , he olun a y epa ia ion o Uk ainian o ced
emig an s may encoun e signi ican challenges.
These ex end beyond secu i y conce ns in he
coun y o o igin o he absence o socio-economic
p ospec s. This is also abou he g owing ension in
he Uk ainian socie y, whose membe s a e di ided
in o oughly wo camps: in e nal, i.e., hose who
emained and s ill li e in Uk aine a wa , and
ex e nal, which a e hose who ha e been o ced o
lee because o he in asion. A he le el o in o mal
con e sa ions in Uk aine – ace- o- ace o in a ious
social media (Facebook communi ies, Teleg am
g oups, e c.) – one can inc easingly ca ch ce ain
discon en and e en esen men on he pa o
some in e nal Uk ainians owa ds o ced emig an s
ab oad. Re ugees a e some imes accused o ha ing
le he coun y a he mos c i ical momen in i s
his o y, choosing hos socie ies wi h ela i ely sa e
li es, a he han s aying and esis ing he
agg esso s in one way o ano he . I is ce ainly
possible o accep such a gumen s om wi hin
Uk aine. Pa icula ly when conside ing he
pe spec i e o indi iduals who daily su i e unde
he deadly a acks o he Russian in ade s, o hose
who ha e los amily membe s o iends o he wa
o a e ac i ely engaged in de ensi e measu es
agains such a acks. Howe e , he a icula ion o
such sen imen s in he media on behal o
au ho i ies and opinion leade s cons i u es a
Why he Bias wi hin Uk aine owa ds Fo ced
Emig an s in he EU is Deba able and Risky
Ta as Romashchenko
Vol 2 (1) 2025
2
sepa a e issue due o a ce ain bias on he pa o
he speake s. Fo example, s a emen s by some
o icials a e aimed a o cing e ugees o e u n
home7 o e en in imida ing hem when i comes o
displaced males who led he coun y ins ead o
joining he A med Fo ces o Uk aine.8 The
a gumen s ange om blackmailing hei child en
o sugges ing he dep i a ion o ci il igh s.9 As o
he gene al public, some o i s ep esen a i es a e
he o ically wonde ing in hei claims, i he s a e
s ill needs i s ex e nal ci izens – “pa asi es” – back
om he hos coun ies?10 In my iew, he
co esponding media discou se wi hin Uk aine may
c ea e addi ional in o ma ion hu dles o he e u n
o displaced Uk ainians.11
THE GROUNDLESSNESS OF REFUGEE BLAMING
O cou se, in a democ a ic s a e he igh o
exp ess one's opinion emains. Howe e , he
manipula ion o ac s and misleading o he public,
e en i unin en ional, should be a oided. Fi s ly,
assume ha all e ugees wi hou excep ion did no
ini ially lea e he e i o y o Uk aine bu ied o
seek shel e somewhe e inside he coun y. Thus,
he numbe o in e nally displaced pe sons12 would
almos iple om he p esen 3.7 o 10.5 million
people. I is ha d o imagine how much he socio-
economic and humani a ian si ua ion in he coun y
a wa would ha e de e io a ed in such a case.
Fu he mo e, i would also ad e sely a ec he
chances o esis ing he Russian in asion.
Ob iously, Uk aine is c i ically dependen on
ex e nal inancial assis ance om i s allies. Much o
his suppo goes o mili a y needs. Bu when
millions o women, child en and he elde ly a e le
wi hou shel e , ood and li elihoods in Uk aine,
di icul choices mus be made in edis ibu ing
always lacking dono unds om he mili a y o he
ci ilian needs.
Secondly, media a acks on Uk ainian men o
consc ip ion age who ha e le hei homeland a e
unde s andable o some ex en . A he same ime,
hey a e in an o e whelming mino i y, which is no
he case wi h women and child en. The la e
cons i u e mo e han 80% o all Uk ainian o ced
emig an s in hos coun ies.13 Being in exile, his
mos ulne able pa o he Uk ainian socie y
inc eases he su i al a e o he whole popula ion.
He e one may ecall he cynical ule used by e e y
success ul in es o s a ing he necessi y o di e si y
isks by pu ing eggs in di e en baske s.
Thi dly, he call by au ho i ies o displaced
Uk ainians o e u n and de end hei homeland as
a ci ic du y (o en poin ing a Is ael's case) seems
deba able. Ci izens o any coun y ha e no only
du ies bu also igh s. The igh o a decen s anda d
o li ing, access o heal hca e and educa ion, o
ins ance. While in Feb ua y 2022 he a e age sala y
in Is ael14 exceeded in equi alen $4,400, in Uk aine
i was 10 imes lowe – $485.15 In ac , lo s o
Uk ainians we e a he po e y line. Millions o hem
ha e sol ed he socio-economic challenges o hei
amilies h ough ex e nal labou mig a ion, mos ly
o Poland, Czech Republic and I aly.
I onically, he mig a ion o Uk ainians o wo k
ab oad has been encou aged by he au ho i ies o
decades. Unable o c ea e decen jobs in Uk aine,
o icials wan ed no only o educe unemploymen
bu also o e o lessly ecei e a signi ican in low o
o eign cu ency in he o m o emi ances om
mig an wo ke s. Bu a e he in asion, he
si ua ion changed d ama ically. Now Uk aine is in
di e need o i s ci izens ab oad, bu many o hem
ha e al eady in eg a ed in o hei hos coun ies
and, he e o e, a e in no hu y o e u n a he i s
o u he calls.
Mo eo e , i is ha dly possible o accuse male
Uk ainian e ugees o unwillingness o e u n and
de end hei homeland when he mobilisa ion
ouches he o dina y majo i y bu no he p i ileged
mino i y. While in Is ael, op o icials and hei
child en a e called up o de end hei coun y,16 in
Uk aine, wa is he “domain o he poo ”,17 while
o icials in he main a e ei he no subjec o
mobilisa ion o quie ly lea e he coun y.18
Finally, all he abo e does no mean ha
Uk ainian e ugees ha e comple ely b oken wi h
Uk aine. On he con a y, he new Uk ainian
diaspo a19 ep esen s a aluable esou ce o he
Vol 2 (1) 2025
3
coun y's ongoing and pos -wa econs uc ion.
Many o ced emig an s a e helping hei homeland
and he on in ac i e and di e se ways, which
would ha e been unlikely i hey – impo e ished and
homeless – had emained in Uk aine.
“REFUGEE-FRIENDLY” STATE POLICY IS KEY
INCENTIVE FOR THE RETURN OF UKRAINIANS
I mus be ealised ha he biased app oach
owa ds i s e ugees ab oad poses a pa icula
dange o Uk aine. On he one hand, i b ings
disco d in o socie y – which only pleases he
Russian in ade s. On he o he hand, he e is a
g owing isk ha he Uk ainian o ced emig an s
will e use he e y idea o e e e u ning home, a
coun y in which hey eel no welcome. A he
momen , he Uk ainian au ho i ies ha e al eady
ecei ed hund eds o housands o applica ions o
enounce Uk ainian ci izenship,20 and he Na ional
Bank o Uk aine p edic s ha by he end o 2025,
he coun y will lose ano he 700,000 people
h ough emig a ion.21 The e o e, he go e nmen
mus ac as a ai a bi e , educing public ension
and con eying by all means possible he message
o all Uk ainians, bo h in e nal and ex e nal ones,
ha wi hou he olun a y e u n o e ugees en
masse, he chances o Uk aine's economic eco e y
and success ul u u e will be p eca ious. In his
ega d, i is encou aging ha he coun y's
au ho i ies ealise he u gency o he issue and ha e
empowe ed he Minis y o Na ional Uni y o
Uk aine o add ess i wi h all g a i y. In ecen
mon hs, he Minis y has ini ia ed he
es ablishmen o so-called “Uni y Hubs” in hos
coun ies22 o p o ide comp ehensi e suppo o
e ugees on-si e as well as o p omo e hei
olun a y e u n home.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This a icle was w i en in he amewo k o he
p ojec “Compe ence Ne wo k In e disciplina y
Uk ainian S udies F ank u (Ode ) – Be lin (KIU)” by
he DAAD wi h unds om he Fede al Fo eign
O ice.
REFERENCES
[1] UNHCR Ope a ional Da a Po al. 2024. Uk aine Re ugee Si ua ion.
Uni ed Na ions High Commissione o Re ugees (20 Feb ua y 2025).
[2] Romashchenko, T. 2023. Ge many and Uk aine: A oiding Re ugee
Tensions. Social Eu ope (6 No embe 2023).
[3] Kopy ko, V. 2025. Demog aphe Oleksand Hladun: To p ese e
he popula ion, Uk ainian women need o ha e h ee child en
each. RBC-Uk aine (21 Ap il 2025).
[4] Romashchenko, T. 2023. How To Ge Uk aine Re ugees To Re u n
Home, Once Wa Is O e . EUobse e (22 Decembe 2023).
[5] CIA The Wo ld Fac book. 2024. Coun y Compa isons – Dea h
Ra e. CIA (13 Sep embe 2024).
[6] Ha mash, O. 2024. Uk aine Businesses Hi e Mo e Women And
Teens Amid Labou Sho ages. Reu e s (12 Sep embe 2024).
[7] Boss, C. & Lipkowski, C. 2024. Be a e in Kiew: Uk aine-Flüch linge
sollen ins Heima land zu ück. Tages-Anzeige (20 Janua y 2024).
[8] Kobza , Y. 2023. S a e To Punish Men Who Illegally T a elled
Ab oad. UNIAN (26 Sep embe 2023).
[9] Romashchenko, T. 2024. Incen i es in e e se: e u ning
Uk ainian e ugees. Social Eu ope (17 Sep embe 2024).
[10] Ko alenko, O. 2024. Why Does Uk aine Need Such “Ci izens”?.
Oboz e a el (14 Sep embe 2024).
[11] This is e idenced by he p elimina y indings o he KIU- esea ch
p ojec conduc ed be ween No embe 2024 and Janua y 2025,
which a emp ed o subs an ia e e icien incen i es o he mass
e u n o o ced mig an s o Uk aine. As pa o he p ojec ,
con en analysis (desk esea ch) o publicly a ailable publica ions
on he Web ela ed o cu en e ugee issues also e ealed he
exis ing media h ea s o he olun a y e u n o Uk ainians.
[12] Mig a ion Da a Po al. 2024. Uk aine: Mig a ion S a is ics, Policy
and Humani a ian Responses. IOM (20 Feb ua y 2024).
[13] IAB. 2022. Uk ainian Re ugees In Ge many: Fleeing, A i ing And
Li ing. Ins i u ü A bei sma k - und Be u s o schung.
[14] S a is a. 2025. A e age Mon hly Wage in he Manu ac u ing
Sec o in Is ael om Feb ua y 2022 o Feb ua y 2023. S a is a (17
Feb ua y 2025).
[15] De zhs a . 2022. Sala y in Janua y 2022. S a e S a is ics Se ice o
Uk aine (28 Feb ua y 2022).
[16] Labiak, I. 2023. Mobilisa ion and Wa : While he Rada is P epa ing
Changes, Rela i es O 19 Minis e s A e Figh ing in Is ael. TSN (21
No embe 2023).
[17] Ma chenko, S. 2024. Is I The Du y O The Poo To Figh ? Wha 's
W ong Wi h Booking? Gaze a.ua (17 May 2024).
[18] Hulijchuk, D. 2024. Which Depu ies Fled Uk aine Du ing he Wa :
A Lis O “He oes”. TSN (17 Janua y 2024).
[19] Koino a, M. 2024. Why The Uk ainian Diaspo a Mus Be In ol ed
In Uk aine’s Reco e y. LSE (18 Ma ch 2024).
Vol 2 (1) 2025
4
[20] Da yho a, O. 2024. “We Ha e A Ca as ophe”: The Depu y Spoke
Abou “Hund eds O Thousands O Applica ions Fo Renuncia ion
O Uk ainian Ci izenship”. UNIAN (14 Sep embe 2024).
[21] NBU. 2024. In la ion Repo : July 2024. Na ional Bank o Uk aine.
[22] BMI P ess Release. 2025. Ge many and Uk aine Ag ee o Se Up a
Uni y Hub in Be lin. Fede al Minis y o he In e io and Communi y
(16 Janua y 2025).
Au ho bio: Ta as Romashchenko is KIU esea ch ellow (F ank u /Ode –
Be lin), a isi ing p o esso and senio lec u e a Biele eld Uni e si y
(Ge many), and has been a pos doc o al esea ch ellow a Danube
Uni e si y K ems (Aus ia). He is also an associa e p o esso o he
Depa men o Economics and In e na ional Economic Rela ions a Bohdan
Khmelny sky Na ional Uni e si y o Che kasy (Uk aine). Cu en ly, also ac s
as a co-chai o Ge man-Uk ainian academic discussions abou Uk ainian
in ellec ual li e. His esea ch in e es s include bu no limi ed o
in e na ional labou and o ced mig a ion, diaspo a in es men , FDI and
emi ances. Email: a as. omashchenko@uni-biele eld.de
© 2025 Au ho . This is an open access a icle dis ibu ed unde he
e ms o he C ea i e Commons A ibu ion License (CC-BY 4.0), which
pe mi s he use o copy, dis ibu e, and ansmi he wo k p o ided
ha he o iginal au ho (s) and sou ce a e c edi ed.
