Ukraine’s unity ministry reports millions of Ukrainians abroad
25 to 30 million Ukrainian citizens currently reside outside
the country, while 32 million remain in Ukraine, the Ministry of National Unity
announced on Jan. 9.
The statement was made by Minister Oleksii Chernyshov during
a visit to Poland, as reported by Ukrinform on YouTube.
According to Chernyshov, the Ukrainian government is working
to create conditions that encourage citizens to return home or maintain strong
ties with Ukraine to contribute to the country’s development.
“Estimates show that we have 32 million Ukrainians in
Ukraine today, and another 25, or perhaps 30 million, abroad,” Chernyshov said.
He clarified that these figures include both those who left Ukraine at various
times since independence and those who fled after Russia’s full-scale invasion.
“We are a nation of 60 million Ukrainians. This is a very
important signal,” the minister added.
On Jan. 3, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said some
Western leaders prefer to retain Ukrainian refugees who have found jobs and pay
taxes in their countries, while urging Ukraine to take back those receiving
social benefits.
Ukraine’s position on refugees
On Dec. 24, El Pais reported that Ukraine
had proposed radical measures to EU countries to pressure citizens who refuse
to return, including ending refugee assistance and barring consular
services for men of conscription age.
The concern stems from a potential risk that 1.3 to 3.3
million Ukrainians may remain abroad.
According to the United Nations, approximately 6.7 million
Ukrainians are currently outside the country. When including economic migrants,
the number reaches 10 million.
The publication highlighted that Ukraine needs 3.1 to 4.5
million workers by 2032 to achieve annual economic growth rates of 7%. Post-war
recovery is estimated to cost $411 billion, 2.5 times the country’s pre-war
GDP.
On Dec. 24, Ukraine’s Ministry of National Unity clarified
that the government does not intend to forcibly repatriate citizens or impose
artificial restrictions on Ukrainians abroad, including access to consular
services or social benefits.
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