Despite their wavering intentions to return, Ukrainian refugees maintain strong ties to their home country. A Vox Ukraine survey of Ukrainian refugees in more than 15 countries in July–August 2023showed that more than 90 per cent check the news about Ukraine several times or more a week. About 60 per cent check the news daily; 64 per cent discuss news from Ukraine with the local population; and around 40 per cent participate in rallies in support of Ukraine. Many Ukrainian children continue to study in Ukrainian schools online, sometimes after their classes in a local school, or attend weekend Ukrainian schools in host countries.
More than one-third of Ukrainian refugees have visited Ukraine at least once since the full-scale invasion began, according to data from the OECD/EUAA report (a figure that is likely affected by restrictions on travel to Ukraine imposed by some host countries).People who are abroad without their partners tend to go back to Ukraine more frequently (43 per cent of that group visited at least once) than others. The main reasons for these trips are to visit family and friends, to check up on property and to help the local community in Ukraine.
Evidence from the Vox Ukraine study also suggests that even if a significant proportion of Ukrainian refugees remain abroad in the near future, they are very loyal to Ukraine and are willing to contribute to its development. More than 70 per cent of respondents believe that their experience will be useful for the reconstruction of Ukraine, and at least half think that the new skills which they have gained abroad could be applied during reconstruction. This includes newly acquired soft skills and social norm changes, such as tolerance, the habit of helping people and community, observing rules and paying taxes.
These findings are corroborated by the results of a focus group with 12 Ukrainian refugees in the UK, which Chatham House organized in March 2024. Its gender composition and geographical distribution reflected a general picture of Ukrainian refugees abroad (the majority were women; participants represented different age groups and all macro-regions of Ukraine, including Russian-occupied territories such as Mariupol and Donetsk). Although the size and location of this exercise mean that it cannot be representative of the experiences and attitudes of the vast majority of Ukrainian refugees, it did offer first-hand insights into the situations and intentions of Ukrainians in the UK.
All the focus group participants expressed the desire to contribute to the reconstruction of Ukraine, either after their return or while they are abroad. They believed their knowledge could be applied in the areas of:
- architecture and urban planning for post-war reconstruction;
- education, and the development of new curricula for Ukrainian schools and higher education institutions;
- business and commerce, creating partnerships to facilitate Ukrainian exports, building bridges between Ukrainian and foreign businesses;
- non-governmental organizations’ work and their cooperation with the Ukrainian government;
- technology and innovation;
- cultural diplomacy and the promotion of Ukraine abroad; and
- mental health support, increasingly relevant to Ukrainians affected by war.
Focus group participants said that they wanted the Ukrainian state to take a more proactive role in reaching out to them and engaging them in the reconstruction process. As one participant said, ‘Ukrainians will help Ukraine anyway, whether the government does something [to involve them] or not. If the government decides to step in, it would just bring more significant results, that’s it.’
