What Would Motivate Ukrainians Abroad to Return Home After the War? — Survey

The desire to reunite with family is the strongest argument that would motivate Ukrainians to return home. This option received votes from 25% of participants in a survey conducted by the analytics centre of the international recruitment agency Gremi Personal, which involved 1,780 Ukrainian citizens living and working in Poland. This is the highest result among all survey options.

Decent working conditions, fair wages and a dignified pension are the second most important condition, chosen by 18% of Ukrainians.

Guarantees that no new war will break out in the coming decades, as well as weapons that would allow the country to defend itself in the event of conflict, are important for 10% of Ukrainians as a precondition for returning. An equal share say that Ukraine must undergo comprehensive reforms — judicial, educational, medical, law enforcement, economic and anti-corruption.

If Ukraine receives support for reconstruction and opportunities for economic development for its citizens, 9% say they would return home. The same number of votes went to the option "Ukraine becomes a member of the European Union and NATO."

Interestingly, the possibility of starting a new business motivates only 7% of Ukrainians in Poland. 6% say they will return when the Ukrainian Armed Forces liberate their occupied city.

3% of respondents say it is important to them that people from their social circle return first. 2% will return if the state provides them with housing they have lost. The fewest votes went to the option of rebuilding an old business, chosen by just 1% of Ukrainians.

"We continue to study migration processes, as it is very important to understand the sentiments of Ukrainians who have been forced to leave their homes. This survey serves as a basis for the Ukrainian government to rely on in its efforts to bring back the millions of Ukrainians currently living in other countries," says Anna Dzhabolda, Head of the Recruitment Department at Gremi Personal.

The agency also notes that the vast majority of Ukrainians have already found employment in Poland and work primarily in manufacturing. Even in entry-level positions, people earn a decent salary, often no less than $1,000 per month. Earlier research shows that this factor allows 75% of employed Ukrainians to send money to relatives who remained in Ukraine, with 35% sending more than half of their earnings in Poland.