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© Ministry of National Unity

Kyiv, 7 March 2025 – UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, and the Ministry of National Unity of Ukraine today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), establishing a strategic partnership to support Ukrainians who have been forced to flee within Ukraine or abroad,  maintain connections with their home country and communities, and attain durable solutions.

As a result of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, around 3.7 million people are internally displaced within Ukraine, while some 6.8 million remain abroad as refugees, mainly in European countries. Since 2022, around 1.3 million refugees have returned and remained in Ukraine for at least three months – with the desire to be back in their home and cultural environment and reunited with family members cited as the primary factors that motivated their return. While UNHCR is currently not promoting return to Ukraine, as the international armed conflict and attacks continue unabated, and urges hosting States not to induce or directly or indirectly pressure refugees to return, UNHCR recognizes that voluntary return to one’s home country is a fundamental right that must be respected.

According to UNHCR’s most recent intentions survey, published in the Lives on Hold series in November 2024, 61% of the refugees and 73% of the internally displaced people (IDPs) still hope and intend to return home. Safety and security remain the main concerns and barriers to return, followed closely by access to employment and safe, dignified homes.  The surveys also underscore a frequently expressed need for objective information to help displaced people make well-informed decisions regarding return. In response, UNHCR launched in 2024 the Ukraine is Home digital