Many Ukrainians remain uncertain how long they will stay abroad

Many Ukrainians displaced by Russia’s full-scale invasion still do not know how long they will remain in their temporary host countries, LSM reported in an interview with social anthropologist and migration researcher Svitlana Odinets.

Millions of Ukrainians fled the country without knowing how long they would have to live abroad. As the war has continued, temporary arrangements have become years-long lives divided between two countries, different prospects for the future and, in many cases, separated families.

In Latvia, Ukrainians who learn Latvian, find work and become part of society are often viewed as an integration success story. However, outwardly successful integration does not necessarily mean that a person has chosen Latvia as a new home or stopped considering a return to Ukraine.

Odinets has studied Ukrainian migration in Europe since 2012. Since 2023, she has conducted about 150 interviews with displaced Ukrainians, policymakers and civil society representatives.

The interview examines why some Ukrainian women feel worse in safe Western Europe than in war-threatened Kyiv, why some mothers return to Ukraine while their children remain abroad, and how Ukrainians living outside the country could become a source of strength for Ukraine despite appearing to represent a lost share of its population.

It also explores how the Baltic states’ historical experience helps Ukrainians feel understood in the region.

Odinets said Ukrainian migration began long before the full-scale invasion, and that people forced to migrate after the invasion have integrated quickly in their host countries. The precise number of Ukrainians who have returned home cannot be determined, while many remain uncertain about how long they will stay abroad.