According to a survey conducted by the ifo Institute, only about 35% of Ukrainians in the EU are considering returning to their homeland after the conflict with Russia is over. The study, conducted in collaboration with researcher Verian over a two-year period, found that a growing number of Ukrainian refugees plan to settle outside Ukraine long-term.
Initially, only 10% of the refugees intended to stay outside Ukraine for an extended period, but this number has been steadily increasing. As time passed, more Ukrainians expressed a desire to settle outside their country, citing factors like corruption and lack of trust in the judiciary as reasons for not wanting to return.
Currently, over four million Ukrainians are living under temporary protection in the EU, with Germany, Poland, and the Czech Republic hosting the highest number of refugees. However, Poland recently cut benefit payouts to Ukrainian refugees, leading to a decrease in public support for accepting them.
As the situation continues to evolve, European leaders are facing calls for urgent decisions regarding the millions of Ukrainian refugees seeking safety and security in EU countries.