Your organization has the power to support the return of Ukrainians from abroad

Problem Statement

Adaptation and assimilation processes of over 7 million Ukrainians who relocated to the EU after March 2022 have been ongoing for more than three years, diminishing their motivation to return.

Ukraine now faces competition for its own citizens from European countries. Communication policy is a key tool in this competition.

Unregulated online “expert” opinions and targeted disinformation distort the informational landscape by loosely interpreting real events.

Implementing a communication strategy can help keep displaced Ukrainians connected to Ukraine’s sociocultural space, strengthen diaspora networks abroad, and encourage repatriation.

Proposed Actions

We propose participation in a communication strategy aimed at Ukrainian forced emigrants.

The strategy implements systematic communication within Ukrainian groups created on social media, between emigrants and Ukrainian institutions.

Through the Strategy Provider, the Institution joins the communication, advising on issues discussed in the feed, and also provides specific proposals within its area of expertise.

Why is this communication strategy needed

Ø As adaptation abroad deepens, ties with the homeland weaken, and Ukrainians’ motivation to return decreases. Targeted communication helps repatriation remain a relevant topic.

Ø eeping emigrants within the national socio-cultural field contributes to the development of a network of Ukrainian communities abroad.

Ø Implementing the Strategy significantly increases institutions’ accessibility for citizens. Systematic participation of institutions makes communication useful, professional, and trustworthy.

Strategy Goals

• Increasing the number of emigrants involved in the Ukrainian socio-cultural space.
• Boosting the intensity of repatriation and curbing new waves of emigration.
• Organizing a network of Ukrainian communities/centers abroad.
• Strengthening the influence of Ukrainian interests abroad.
• Increasing the number of cross-border Ukrainian connections (economic, cultural, etc.).
• Creating an information and media space for Ukrainian emigration.
• Establishing a stable channel for feedback from Ukrainian emigration.
• Obtaining research data and using it for the development of communication policy.

Why Will This Strategy Work

• The strategy addresses the issue of the lack of direct communication between forced emigrants and Ukrainian institutions.
• The number of users in Ukrainian groups created on social networks exceeds 10 million citizens, the vast majority of whom reside in EU countries.
• Monitoring the communication field identifies intervention points in communication for professional arbitration and countering disinformation.
• The systematic and purposeful nature of the Strategy is key to its effectiveness.
• Interactive communication can effectively influence the target audience.
• The cross-sectoral organizational structure of the Strategy’s participants ensures its comprehensiveness and a high quality of contacts.

How it works