Involuntary Migration and Gender Imbalance
The report highlights that approximately 500,000 Belarusians (out of a population of 9.2 million) have left the country since 2020, while over 6 million Ukrainians fled their homes after the war began in 2022. BEROC assumes that most migrants left involuntarily due to escalating political conflicts and warfare.
Among those surveyed, 57% of Belarusians and 74% of Ukrainians have lived in the EU for two to four years, with the majority residing in Poland. Marriage dynamics also differ: 91% of married Belarusians live with their spouses in their new country, compared to only 76% of Ukrainians. This disparity is attributed to the early waves of Ukrainian migration, which primarily involved women and children, according to BEROC researcher Violetta Panasevych.
Adaptation Challenges and Return Plans
The survey reveals mixed feelings about returning home. Among Belarusians, 35% plan to return, 38% do not, and 26% are undecided. For Ukrainians, 38% wish to go back, 20% have no plans to return, and 42% remain uncertain. Those who have lived in the EU longer (2–4 years) are less likely to consider returning.
A notable difference emerged in employment strategies: 21% of Belarusians found jobs through diaspora networks, compared to just 3% of Ukrainians. Conversely, employers helped Belarusians relocate twice as often as they did Ukrainians. However, starting anew proved challenging for both groups, with one-third of Belarusians and half of Ukrainians reporting career disruptions. Women, early-career professionals, and those at the peak of their careers faced particularly steep losses.
Barriers to Integration and Employment Trends
The report identifies fields like education, advertising, design marketing, financial services, banking, and trade as the most challenging for migrants to navigate. Ukrainians were more likely to secure public-sector jobs (7% vs. 1% for Belarusians), while Belarusians showed a higher tendency to start their own businesses in the EU.
Social Protection and Labor Market Integration
Migrants expressed a strong desire for equal access to social protection measures afforded to citizens of their host countries. They also emphasized the need for guidance to better understand their role in the new labor market.
Overall, the BEROC report underscores the complexities faced by Belarusian and Ukrainian migrants in adapting to their new environments while highlighting the structural and social barriers that impede their integration.
