The return of Ukrainians who were forced to go abroad because of the war is a key task for the Government in the near future, and the relevant policies and mechanisms need to be developed now, before the end of the war. This was agreed upon during a meeting to discuss the human capital development project held at the Ministry of Economy under the chairmanship of the First Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine - Minister of Economy of Ukraine Yuliia Svyrydenko with representatives of ministries, government agencies and NGOs. 

"According to various estimates, there are currently between 5.3 and 6.2 million Ukrainian forced migrants abroad, including about 1.5 million in the aggressor countries. Among adult forced migrants, the majority are women aged 25-49, the lion's share of whom have higher education and were employed before the full-scale invasion. This is our temporarily lost human capital that we need to get back. That is why the Government is already developing a relevant policy even before the war is over. In addition, the return of our citizens is crucial to ensure a rapid and sustainable economic recovery of Ukraine, as the need for labour resources will increase significantly after the victory," said Yuliia Svyrydenko. 

Today, according to polls, most forced migrants are inclined to return to Ukraine, mainly after the victory, but 7%-10% of refugees have already decided to stay abroad. 

The end of the war, economic development and the rebuilding of infrastructure and housing, as well as employment opportunities, are the main factors that will facilitate the return of Ukrainians back to their homes. During the discussion, the meeting participants highlighted the importance of ensuring the implementation of a motivational mechanism to facilitate the return of refugees, identified tools to encourage their return, taking into account their needs and interests, and discussed the procedure for interaction between public authorities and relevant institutions.