Ukraine Urges Refugee Return Amid Labor Shortages in Host Countries

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has urged refugees to return to the war-torn country to help rebuild the economy and fight, Bloomberg reports.
The call, however, comes amidst a growing labor shortage in central and eastern Europe, putting pressure on countries like Poland and the Czech Republic to retain the Ukrainian workforce they’ve welcomed since the start of the conflict in February 2022.
Millions of Ukrainians have since fled their homes, seeking refuge in neighboring countries, which granted them special status and provided financial assistance, although some, like the Czech Republic, have scaled back those benefits and have yet to establish long-term solutions for housing and financial support.
Poland extended legislation last month, guaranteeing Ukrainian refugees access to the labor market and social benefits until September 2025.
According to the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) estimates, over 6 million Ukrainians remain refugees abroad, including around 1.3 million who have sought refuge in Russia as of late 2023.
The Ukrainian central bank predicts an additional 400,000 people will leave the country this year. Due to the ongoing war, Ukrainian citizens aged 18 to 60 are prohibited from leaving the country. In May, a mobilization law was implemented in Ukraine.
While Poland and Hungary have announced they will not send refugees back to Ukraine due to the ongoing war, they have economic incentives to keep them – especially those nations that have historically been resistant to immigration. Companies there are struggling to find workers for newly constructed factories, particularly in the automotive and battery industries, forcing them to look beyond their own borders, according to the report.
As an example, Poland currently shelters some 950,000 Ukrainian refugees, in addition to those already settled in the country before the war. A report by the UNHCR and accounting firm Deloitte estimates that Ukrainian refugees contributed between 0.7% to 1.1% to Poland’s gross domestic product last year.