Share of Ukrainian refugees wishing to come home down from 77% to 65%

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Share of Ukrainian refugees wishing to come home down from 77% to 65% - UN poll

MOSCOW. Feb 22 (Interfax) - The majority of polled Ukrainian refugees and internally displaced persons wish to come home someday (65% and 72%, respectively), but the share is declining, Ukrainian media said.

The media cited the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)'s survey "Lives on Hold: Intentions and Perspectives of Refugees, Refugee Returnees and IDPs from Ukraine" published on its website.

According to UN data, the share of refugees who plan or hope to return to Ukraine in the future has decreased compared to last year (from 77% to 65%), while the share of those who are undecided about returning has increased (from 18% to 24%), as the share of those who have no hope of returning (from 5% to 11%). A similar trend is observed among internally displaced persons.

The polled displaced persons predominantly named the risks in Ukraine as the main factor hindering their return. Other problems included a lack of economic opportunity and housing. A significant portion of Ukrainian refugees surveyed (about 59%) indicated that they may be forced to return home if they continue to encounter problems in their host countries, mainly related to work opportunities and legal status.

It is also noted that more refugees are now making short-term visits to Ukraine - almost 50% compared to 39% last year, mainly to visit family members, but also to check on their property.

The UN believes such visits could ultimately facilitate the making of informed decisions about long-term returns when conditions are right.

The UN notes that now almost 6.5 million refugees from Ukraine are seeking asylum around the world in addition to almost 3.7 million people displaced within the country.

The UNHCR report is based on interviews conducted in January-February 2024 with almost 4,000 refugee households in Europe, 4,800 internally displaced person households in Ukraine and approximately 1,100 households of refugees returning to Ukraine (more than 9,900 households in total).