Ukrainian immigrants on the territory of the EU countries are currently faced with a difficult choice: either to return home, where the criminal war unleashed by the Kremlin continues, or to stay and live in Europe.
What is known about the situation with Ukrainian immigrants in the EU
The heart says to go back. But I want the best future for my daughter, 37-year-old Iryna Khomych explains the situation to the journalists of the publication, who is currently in Germany with her 8-year-old daughter.
The publication also notes that public opinion in the EU has recently been filled with negativity regarding immigrants. Still, the authorities of the EU countries consider the settlement of Ukrainians a successful step.
For example, Germany declared its desire to offer Ukrainian refugees a long-term future in the country without being tied to events in Ukraine itself.
However, the authors of the material emphasize that EU countries have not become full-fledged second homes for Ukrainian immigrants.
In particular, this was hindered by problems with employment in EU countries. In Germany, only one out of five Ukrainians found a job through the powerful bureaucratic system.
If you live in a temporary accommodation for refugees and do not have a "private" address, your child will not be taken to school, and you cannot leave him unattended, hiring a nanny is expensive. Not everyone can afford to move to rented housing either — again, it's expensive the authors of the article note.
What is known about the desire of a significant number of Ukrainian immigrants to stay in the EU
However, despite the difficulties, more and more Ukrainian immigrants are beginning to perceive EU countries as a second home.
Journalists of the publication cite the example of 25-year-old Valeria Mykhaylova. The woman herself comes from Donetsk and saw the war as a teenager.
She is now in Germany with her 8-year-old daughter and her Moroccan boyfriend, whom she met in Kharkiv. Now, the couple intends to open their pastry shop in Berlin.
I miss Ukraine very, very much, but I am starting to live my youth, the woman explains.
The mayor of the German city of Freiburg, which accepted more Ukrainian refugees than the whole of France, said that after the improvement of the strategic situation for Ukraine at the front last year, many Ukrainians went home, but many remained.
For the first 8, 10, 12 months, they waited more and thought: "Then we will return, we will build a new Ukraine after the war." But now they are learning the German language and looking for work, the mayor of the city Martin Horn said.
According to him, Ukrainians are currently faced with a problematic choice related to the desire to return home.
However, he also noted that Ukrainians in the city had become valuable assets and could help solve the labour shortage problem.
We need them, Horn emphasized.
