Ukraine will spend more than UAH 150 million to return refugees: The Cabinet of Ministers has made a decision

Ukraine will facilitate the return of citizens who left the country after the start of Russia's full-scale aggression, i.e. after February 24, 2022. UAH 150 million will be spent from the state budget for this purpose.

According to the government's representative in the Verkhovna Rada, Taras Melnychuk, the Cabinet of Ministers adopted the relevant decision on March 4. According to it, UAH 150.03 million was transferred to the Ministry of National Unity for the new budget program.

It is noted that the funds were allocated to the Ministry of Economy for 2025 under the program "Ensuring the implementation of tasks and measures to support Ukrainians abroad and facilitate their return to Ukraine." At the same time, Melnychuk did not specify the details of the new program for which the money will be spent.

However, earlier, Minister of National Unity Oleksiy Chernyshov emphasized that Ukrainians would not be forcibly returned to Ukraine. Instead, it is planned to create "Unity Hubs" abroad that will facilitate the return of Ukrainians from abroad, support them and help them preserve their national identity.

As previously reported, according to the Center for Economic Strategy, as of the end of November 2024, there were 5.2 million Ukrainian refugees abroad. The mass exodus of Ukrainians from the country took place in the first weeks of the war, especially in March 2022 (2.5 million people). In the spring of 2022, the outflow slowed down, and from May to September, more people returned than left. In the fall of 2022 and winter of 2023, the outflow of Ukrainians increased again due to Russian attacks on the energy sector.

About 44% of Ukrainian refugees are adult women. They left the country with their children. In the future, this will worsen the demographic situation in the country. From January to November 2024, the share of men among Ukrainian refugees in European countries increased from 37% to 39%.

As OBOZ.UA previously reported, the most difficult to return Ukrainian refugees will be from Germany, according to the Institute for Demography and Quality of Life. This country has become attractive for long-term residence and a key country for integration due to high wages, social support and active adaptation policy. In contrast, the return of Ukrainians from Poland, Bulgaria, and Romania remains more likely.

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