Ukrainian refugees did not become a burden for European countries: why did it happen?
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine triggered one of the largest humanitarian crises since World War II. However, a wave of Ukrainian refugees managed to adapt and find work abroad.
Refugees have concentrated primarily in three countries – Poland, the Czech Republic and Germany. Hlib Vyshlinsky, an economist and director of the Centre for Economic Strategy, commented on this for Channel 24.
“Among these countries, Ukrainian citizens already lived in Poland. They came as labor migrants in previous years. Accordingly, this facilitated the labor adaptation of Ukrainians who came as refugees,” the expert said.
He added that Poland has become a country that has previously accepted labor migrants for a reason. This is due to the similarity of languages and cultures. According to Vyshlinsky, employers were ready to hire Ukrainians because they knew what to expect from them and knew about their labor potential.
“This led to the fact that in Poland (as well as in the Czech Republic, where Ukrainian labor migration was also significant before the war), Ukrainians who left due to the war could find work quite quickly,” the economist noted.
German investments in Ukrainians were not in vain
Vyshlinsky noted that the situation in Germany was different: there are significant social benefits and substantial investments in refugees and their adaptation to the labor market. Of course, this also includes intensive language training.
“In Poland and the Czech Republic, there was no such investment in Ukrainians. This pushed people into the labor market. They did not expect social assistance, but went to neighboring culturally similar countries where it was easier to find a job,” explained the economist.
However, he noted that even when it comes to Germany, the investment was not in vain, unlike refugees from other countries, Ukrainians who fled to Germany are more educated.
Short- and long-term contributions
Mostly women and children went abroad. Minors do not work, and some mothers are unable to go to work. Vyshlinsky said that these families create domestic demand. He is referring to the fact that these families create demand, while their husbands stay in Ukraine and can often help their families abroad.
“Taxes go to the budget of other countries. They contribute even in the short term. If we are talking about the long term, it is obvious that no matter how the war in Ukraine ends in terms of time, some refugees will still remain in the host countries,” said Vyshlinsky.
He noted that children and women constitute human capital, which has been partially invested by Ukraine (in particular, in terms of education and work experience). This will help these countries develop in the years to come. The expert added that, unfortunately, at the expense of Ukraine.