Half of Ukrainians Now in Germany and Poland Plan to Return Home at End of War while Half Say They’ll Remain Abroad at Least a Year More, New Survey Finds

 Paul Goble

            Staunton, Dec. 11 – Polls have found that Ukrainians now living abroad overwhelmingly say they will return home after the war, while most sociological studies suggest that only about a third will (https://windowoneurasia2.blogspot.com/2022/12/russian-bombing-campaign-has-not.html). Now a new survey indicates the actual share may be about 50 percent.

            The survey of 800 Ukrainian citizens now living in Poland and Germany was conjunced by Kyiv’s EWL Platform and scholars at the Center for East European Research at the University of Warsaw (ewl.com.ua/спеціальний-звіт-ewl-біженці-з-україни-п/ and thinktanks.by/publication/2022/12/11/pochti-polovina-ukrainskih-bezhentsev-planiruyut-ostatsya-posle-voyny-v-evrope.html).

            It found that the number planning to return as soon as the war ends and the number who say they will remain abroad for at least an additional year are almost exactly equal with about 50 percent in these two categories. It found that a large share speak English and that many are seeking to improve their lives by learning the language of the country they’re now in.