People fleeing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine are widely supported across Europe. However, they face difficulties related to education, finding a job and covering daily expenses, according to the results of the latest survey by the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA), published on Tuesday in Vienna.
In Romania, for example, almost half of Ukrainians want to return to Ukraine, while the average in the other countries is 35%. Moreover, 65% of them live in housing without paying, in Romania, the highest rate among the countries participating in the survey.
The EU’s rapid activation of the Temporary Protection Directive for the first time allowed people fleeing the conflict in Ukraine to quickly settle in Member States, work, travel and access services across the EU. According to this directive, all EU member states must offer protection to people displaced from Ukraine.
The FRA report entitled “Fleeing Ukraine” (“Escape from Ukraine”) presents the direct testimonies of approximately 14,500 people who fled the path of war and settled in the EU. The survey shows that there are still practical difficulties for refugees from Ukraine in issues such as language, housing, education, workplace, cost of living, health. The results should help decision-makers to find sustainable and beneficial solutions both for the people who have fled and for the countries that host them.
“The aggression in Ukraine has caused the biggest humanitarian crisis in Europe since the Second World War,” said the director of the FRA, Michael O’Flaherty, quoted in a press release issued by the FRA. “The EU and its Member States have adopted temporary solutions, providing much-needed support. As the war continues, we need to put in place effective and long-term measures to enable host societies and displaced people to adapt to the major transformations caused by this war “.
Almost half of Ukrainian refugees living in Romania want to return home
Although 1 in 3 Ukrainians now feel part of the host country’s community, the same number would like to return to Ukraine. Almost half (49%) of the respondents who live in Romania want to return to Ukraine, which represents the highest rate in the survey (the average being 35%). Not knowing the language of the host country is the main reason why people give up education, do not work or do not take steps to benefit from medical assistance.
In all the countries participating in the survey, only 10% of the respondents spoke well, perfectly or at the level of their mother tongue. A quarter of the respondents (25%) did not speak the respective language at all.
This proportion reached 65% in Estonia, 58% in Romania and 57% in Hungary.
In Poland it was only 12%, and in the Czech Republic and Slovakia 18%. In terms of education, 59% of children attend online courses of a Ukrainian school or learn on their own with materials or support from Ukraine.
65% of refugees stay in housing without paying, in Romania, the highest rate among the countries participating in the survey
According to the survey, although 59% of the people interviewed pay for housing, they often have to share facilities, such as the toilet or the kitchen. Many lack privacy or a quiet space where their children can learn. In this regard, there were notable variations between countries. Most respondents from Estonia (65%) and Poland (54%) paid in full for their home.
Two-thirds of the respondents in Romania (65%) stayed in the respective dwelling without paying (the highest rate among the countries participating in the survey) – compared to an average of 35%. In Italy, 58% and in Slovakia, 53% of respondents did not pay for housing. The majority of those who arrived in Romania (72%) stayed in private homes, which represents the highest rate in the survey.
The survey shows that only 33% have a paid job and 33% of women do not work because they have to take care of children or elderly or sick relatives. 48% state that their new job is below their level of education, and 30% state that they have been exploited at work. At the same time, 79% face difficulties in meeting their daily expenses. In Romania, 25% of women and 38% of men had a paid job at the time of the survey. For women, this was one of the lowest rates in the survey.
88% of Ukrainians who arrived in Romania asked for medical or psychological support
Since their arrival in the host country, 49% of Ukrainian refugees feel sad and depressed, the survey reveals. Also, 49% of young children have sleep and/or concentration disorders. The proportion of subjects who sought and received medical or psychological support was lower in the Czech Republic (68%) and Spain (69%).
In contrast, in Romania and Hungary, the proportion was much higher (both 88%). When asked who has helped them since their arrival in the host country, on average, 56% of respondents stated that they were helped by the authorities. This proportion was higher in the Czech Republic, Estonia and Germany. In Hungary and Romania, volunteer organizations were mentioned as providing assistance more often than any other category (Hungary, 45%; Romania, 59%).
Survey subjects were also asked how often they felt they were treated unfairly in their host Member State because they came from Ukraine. In all Member States surveyed, more than eight out of 10 respondents (81%) stated that they had never or rarely been treated unfairly because of being from Ukraine.
The proportion of those who stated that they had been treated unfairly at some point was the lowest in Romania (40%), Spain (44%) and Hungary (46%). On average, 16% of respondents often or always felt unfairly treated. This proportion was higher in Italy (26%), Bulgaria (23%) and the Czech Republic (23%).
The survey was conducted during August-September 2022 in 10 EU countries that host a high number of Ukrainian refugees: Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Spain.