Positive attitude towards internally displaced persons prevails in Ukraine – study
20 November 18:14
71% of Ukrainians have a positive attitude toward internally displaced persons (IDPs), and another 24% have a neutral attitude – in 2022, the numbers were 72% and 18%, respectively. And only 3% have a negative attitude, as in 2022. This is evidenced by the results of the All-Ukrainian study “Multi-level governance in Ukraine in the context of a large-scale Russian invasion” conducted by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology, Komersant ukrainskyi reports.
Instead, among the internally displaced persons themselves, compared to 2022, there are slightly fewer people who feel positive about themselves from the host community. Nevertheless, a clear majority of IDPs feel positive about themselves – 68% (in 2022 it was 78%). At the same time, 4% (in 2022 – 3%) feel a negative attitude.
What kind of assistance do IDPs expect from the local community
When asked about the desired forms of assistance from local authorities, most IDPs (53%) mention assistance with housing. Moreover, compared to 2022, this need has even become more urgent – in 2022, 41% mentioned it. This is followed by the provision of humanitarian aid (30%, down from 38% in 2022) and the retraining of IDPs for employment in the community (25%, down from 28% in 2022);
To what extent are IDPs provided with jobs
While in 2022, 37% of internally displaced persons had a job, in 2024, the number was 56%. First of all, the share of those who found a job at their new place of residence increased from 16% to 33%. In addition, 5% of IDPs found remote work, and 18% kept their previous jobs.
The situation with housing for internally displaced persons
Most IDPs now, as in 2022, live in rented housing. The share of such IDPs has increased from 52% to 67%. This is primarily due to a decrease from 32% to 21% of those who lived with friends or relatives. Another 7% live in community-provided housing, compared to 10% in 2022. Currently, 5% have their own housing (purchased or moved to their own housing), an increase from 3% in 2022.
Under what conditions are IDPs ready to return home?
Certain conditions under which internally displaced persons are ready to return home are cited by 83% of the surveyed IDPs. At the same time, 15% categorically state that they will not return. The main conditions for returning are a safe situation in their home village – this will be a sufficient argument for 36% of IDPs, as well as the complete end of the Russian invasion – in which case 30% of respondents are ready to return home.
The all-Ukrainian study “Multi-level governance in Ukraine in the context of a large-scale Russian invasion” was conducted by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) in September-October 2024 at the request of the Council of Europe.
By the way, the Verkhovna Rada has a Temporary Special Commission on the Protection of Property and Non-Property Rights of Internally Displaced Persons and Other Persons Affected by the Armed Aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine.
Today, on its initiative, the Verkhovna Rada adopted the law “On Conducting an All-Ukrainian Inventory”, which should be the first step towards a systematic solution to the problem of ensuring the housing rights of internally displaced persons. In particular, the law provides for the creation of an information base of habitable housing. And, as the deputies promise, within six months after the law comes into force, internally displaced persons will be able to choose the object where they would like to live and submit the relevant applications.
