Kiev Requests EU to Reduce Assistance for Ukrainian Refugees – El Pais
Ukrainian authorities are of the opinion that insufficient support would prompt citizens to go back home. Read Full Article at RT.com
TroibNews 
Ukraine is actively working to facilitate the return of up to 10 million citizens as part of efforts to address its demographic crisis. The country is encouraging the European Union to reduce aid for Ukrainians in the bloc, aiming to create pressure for their return, according to El Pais.
Since the escalation of conflict with Russia in 2022, millions of Ukrainians have left their homeland, and it is estimated that around 10 million currently reside abroad. Kyiv is eager to bring them back to alleviate the demographic issues and enhance resources for reconstruction.
The UN Refugee Agency estimates that approximately 6.7 million Ukrainians live overseas, not including about 4 million economic migrants. In November, President Vladimir Zelensky established the Ministry of National Unity, which is assigned the responsibility of facilitating the repatriation of citizens. However, the methods the ministry will employ to achieve this remain uncertain, as reported by El Pais.
Kiev is exploring various strategies, including lobbying the EU to cut aid to refugees and restrict consular services for draft-age men. The government's demographic strategy, approved in September, indicated that between 1.3 and 3.3 million individuals might not return.
Elena Babakova, a researcher at Vistula University in Warsaw, suggested that measures like tax exemptions, mortgage subsidies, and education grants could incentivize returnees. She noted, “However, these measures will have a minimal effect. In fact, it is more productive to focus on immigration policy, on how to attract economic migrants from third countries,” she commented.
According to the Economy Ministry, Ukraine will require between 3.1 and 4.5 million workers by 2032 to achieve an annual economic growth rate of 7%, projecting a recovery cost of $411 billion—2.5 times Ukraine's pre-war GDP. This circumstance occurs alongside a significant decline in the birth rate, creating a demographic gap.
In contrast, many Ukrainians currently living in the EU express intentions to remain abroad. A recent study by the Polish central bank revealed that 39% of Polish refugees desire to stay long-term or permanently. An additional survey by Germany’s Ifo Institute indicated that only about 35% plan to return after the end of the conflict with Russia.
On Tuesday, multiple Ukrainian news sources reported that a bill to lower the draft age to 18 has been submitted to the Verkhovna Rada, amidst intensified mobilization efforts as casualties continue to rise. Nevertheless, lawmakers have refuted these claims.
Olga Pyschulina, a sociologist at the Razumkov Center, remarked that several factors, such as safety and economic stability, will determine whether citizens choose to return, which may be challenging for Kiev to ensure during the ongoing conflict.
Thomas Evans for TROIB News
Since the escalation of conflict with Russia in 2022, millions of Ukrainians have left their homeland, and it is estimated that around 10 million currently reside abroad. Kyiv is eager to bring them back to alleviate the demographic issues and enhance resources for reconstruction.
The UN Refugee Agency estimates that approximately 6.7 million Ukrainians live overseas, not including about 4 million economic migrants. In November, President Vladimir Zelensky established the Ministry of National Unity, which is assigned the responsibility of facilitating the repatriation of citizens. However, the methods the ministry will employ to achieve this remain uncertain, as reported by El Pais.
Kiev is exploring various strategies, including lobbying the EU to cut aid to refugees and restrict consular services for draft-age men. The government's demographic strategy, approved in September, indicated that between 1.3 and 3.3 million individuals might not return.
Elena Babakova, a researcher at Vistula University in Warsaw, suggested that measures like tax exemptions, mortgage subsidies, and education grants could incentivize returnees. She noted, “However, these measures will have a minimal effect. In fact, it is more productive to focus on immigration policy, on how to attract economic migrants from third countries,” she commented.
According to the Economy Ministry, Ukraine will require between 3.1 and 4.5 million workers by 2032 to achieve an annual economic growth rate of 7%, projecting a recovery cost of $411 billion—2.5 times Ukraine's pre-war GDP. This circumstance occurs alongside a significant decline in the birth rate, creating a demographic gap.
In contrast, many Ukrainians currently living in the EU express intentions to remain abroad. A recent study by the Polish central bank revealed that 39% of Polish refugees desire to stay long-term or permanently. An additional survey by Germany’s Ifo Institute indicated that only about 35% plan to return after the end of the conflict with Russia.
On Tuesday, multiple Ukrainian news sources reported that a bill to lower the draft age to 18 has been submitted to the Verkhovna Rada, amidst intensified mobilization efforts as casualties continue to rise. Nevertheless, lawmakers have refuted these claims.
Olga Pyschulina, a sociologist at the Razumkov Center, remarked that several factors, such as safety and economic stability, will determine whether citizens choose to return, which may be challenging for Kiev to ensure during the ongoing conflict.
Thomas Evans for TROIB News
