The Director General of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) stated that migration movements have never occurred under such extreme conditions as today.

In a brief interview with Interfax-Ukraine, Director General of the International Organization for Migration Amy Pope shared her outlook on the return of Ukrainian refugees from abroad.

Text: Hanna Levchenko

What are the main migration trends for Ukraine over the last 3-5 years (before and after the full-scale Russian invasion)?

Migration has traditionally played a significant role in the life of Ukrainian society. According to local studies*, almost a third of the country's population has either personal experience of labour migration abroad or that of their family members.

Migration movements have never taken place under such extreme conditions as they do today. Now in the fourth year of Russia’s full-scale invasion, Ukraine continues to grapple with one of the largest displacement crises in Europe’s history. Nearly four million people remain internally displaced, while another five million Ukrainian refugees continue to reside in countries across Europe.

Last year, I had the privilege to visit Ukraine, and I saw firsthand the devastation the war has wrought and the scale of the challenges ahead. But I was also profoundly inspired and humbled by the strength of the people I met – women who have traveled from regions that were under active attack, who left with very little but the clothes on their back and their children in their car.

How do you assess the impact of the Russian Federation's aggression against Ukraine on migration processes in Europe and the world? What are the differences in the migration of Ukrainian refugees and that of other migrants?

The February 24, 2022, large-scale Russian invasion caused the largest wave of forced migration in Europe since World War II.

The profile of refugees from