More than a year after the start of Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine, new socio-psychological trends have begun to emerge among Ukrainian refugees in Norway. According to recent surveys, almost 47% of Ukrainian refugees say they do not want to return to Ukraine even after the end of hostilities. This figure shows not only the severity of the experience, but also the profound changes in the life plans of people who were forced to seek refuge in other countries.
According to VG, this is evidenced by the results of a survey by the Integration and Diversity Office (IMDi). It is noted that only 10% of refugees want to return home.
Researcher Wilde Gernes from the Institute for Urban and Regional Research (NIBR) at OsloMet says that there are two trends among Ukrainians. First, those who have been in Norway for a long time are more likely to want to stay in this Scandinavian country. Second, there is a category of refugees who have recently arrived but have wanted to settle in Norway from the very beginning.
According to Gernes, the number of boys aged 16-17 has increased among the visitors. In her opinion, this is due to the fact that from the age of 18, young men no longer have the opportunity to leave Ukraine and are threatened with possible mobilization into the army.
In a similar survey in January 2023, every third Ukrainian refugee said they wanted to stay in Norway. At the same time, more than half were hesitant.
The number of Ukrainians who will return from abroad after the war ends will depend on the scenario under which it ends. This opinion was expressed by Oleksiy Poznyak, a senior researcher at the M.V. Ptukha Institute of Demography and Social Research, Candidate of Economic Sciences.
According to El Pais, between six and ten million Ukrainians have been displaced abroad since the start of the full-scale war. They still live there, but Ukraine is pushing to bring its citizens “home” – including through methods such as cutting off aid to refugees and closing consular services to men of military age.
