On Dec. 18, the United Nations marks International Migrants Day. As billions of people prepare for Christmas and New Year holidays, millions of migrant laborers in Ukraine either travel home or send their loved ones more money and gifts than in other seasons.
Not long ago Serhii was one of those migrants. Displaced by the conflict in eastern Ukraine, he had to leave his business behind in Donetsk. He could not find a new job to provide for his wife, daughter and son, so in 2015 he started working at a TV plant in Poland. He tried to come home as often as he could, but his absences often lasted the whole year. One year he came back at 10 p.m. on New Year’s Eve. Serhii says at that moment he realized he wanted to stay with his family and find income opportunities in Ukraine rather than working abroad.
The new year is often a time for new plans, and Serhii is building a new life: with the money he earned in Poland and a grant he received from the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the UN Migration Agency, he began refurbishing his own car maintenance station in Kyiv. Serhii continues to work hard and hopes this will be the first of many Christmases spent with his family.
There are 1.4 million internally displaced persons like Serhii officially registered across Ukraine and over 1.3 million Ukrainian labor migrants, according to official estimates, which may be far below the actual number. Protracted military conflict, large-scale displacement and economic challenges have driven many Ukrainian nationals to seek employment abroad. A quarter of Ukrainians surveyed by the national Institute of Sociology in 2018 said they or their family members had worked abroad. In 2012, only some 14% surveyed by the same institute claimed the same.
With Ukraine the home of so many migrants, now is the time to foster migration management to promote orderly and safe migration and protect against risks.
The rapid growth of labor migration is often accompanied by unethical recruitment, irregular employment and deteriorating labor conditions, which in turn can lead to human trafficking and exploitation.
From January to September 2019, IOM Ukraine assisted almost 1,000 Ukrainian victims of trafficking who suffered from exploitation across two dozen countries. These numbers call for greater efforts to raise awareness around trafficking and the protection of migrant workers.
IOM protects migrants and promotes awareness that migration helps fight against poverty. As highlighted by the Institute of Demography and Social Sciences, from 2010 to 2017, Ukraine’s poverty level increased from 24.1% to 24.4%. However, in seven of eight Western Ukrainian regions where labor migration is prominent, poverty has substantially decreased. In the Ivano-Frankivsk region, it dropped from almost 22% to 8%.
Anh Nguyen is the chief of mission in Ukraine of the International Organization for Migration, the United Nations Migration Agency. (Volodymyr Shuvayev)
If effectively harnessed, migrant financial and human capital can significantly contribute not only to poverty reduction but to sustainable development. According to a recent IOM survey, 21% of Ukrainian labor migrants would like to invest their earnings in their native city, town or village.
The professional networks established in the course of labor migration also stimulate productivity and growth. Through innovative investment instruments such as the pilot IOM project that allowed Serhii to double the funds for his car maintenance station as well as through diaspora engagement, the capital and skills of Ukrainian migrants can be leveraged here in Ukraine.
In his inaugural speech, President Volodymyr Zelensky called on Ukrainians abroad to return to their homeland. There is still a long way to go to assess the factors that compel people to leave Ukraine, but as the UN Migration Agency and Coordinator of the UN Migration Network, IOM stands ready to work with the government, the international community, civil society and business partners in Ukraine.
We stand ready to support the links between migration and development and to provide solutions for displaced populations and host communities. These challenges can only be addressed if we adopt an integrated, person-centric approach that recognizes the interdependent structures of family, community and state.
Serhii told us that looking back at his experience of displacement and labor migration, he is now happy to have his own business with big dreams for the future. Inspired by Serhii and thousands like him, IOM believes it is time for Ukraine to leave behind resistance to migrants and seize the opportunities the complex phenomenon provides.
Anh Nguyen is the chief of mission in Ukraine of the International Organization for Migration, the United Nations Migration Agency.
