Vilnius – Over 70 per cent of Ukrainians indicate that they plan to return to Ukraine when and if it is safe while 7 per cent intend to return regardless of the security situation, according to the latest Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM) survey carried out by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in six cities across Lithuania.

This is the second DTM survey conducted by IOM’s office in Lithuania, with the first carried out in autumn last year.

“This research helps us analyze and better understand the needs of Ukrainians as well as to track changes over time,” explains Eitvydas Bingelis, Head of IOM Lithuania. 

“For example, close to a year ago, most Ukrainians were saying that their biggest needs were financial support and health services, while now they put more emphasis on finding a job, although financial support remains among the top priorities,” he adds.

Currently, 23 per cent of Ukrainians are looking for a job, down by 2 percentage points compared to the previous survey. The percentage of those who are neither working nor looking for a job has also dropped from 17 per cent last year to 10 per cent this year. This is the result of many Ukrainians running out of savings and having to work to provide for their families.

One of the most important aspects reflected in both reports is the fact that most Ukrainians do not have jobs that match their previous profession and competences. The majority of them are currently doing unskilled work and thus have lower incomes.

Before fleeing Ukraine, 23 per cent of respondents declared that they had a professional job, 17 per cent that they were managers, and 5 per cent that they had unskilled jobs. In Lithuania, by contrast, 27 per cent of Ukrainians report having unskilled jobs, while 9 per cent say that they have a professional occupation and only 4 per cent in management. The majority of respondents report that one of the most important challenges at the moment is finding a long-term job with a higher income.

“Our research shows that Ukrainians living in Lithuania face financial difficulties and challenges in finding a job and long-term housing,” explains Barbora Beinoraitė, IOM DTM Officer for the Baltic states.

“Most Ukrainian refugees have been unable to find a job in their field of specialization, which hinders their chances of obtaining a higher income,” Beinoraitė adds. However, progress has been made in other areas as only 18 per cent of Ukrainians have now cited the language barrier as one of their challenges compared to 34 per cent last year.

The report also revealed that 62 per cent of Ukrainians rent on the open market compared to 51 per cent last year. Around 12 per cent of Ukrainians did not pay rent because they were hosted by Lithuanian families, while another 10 per cent stayed with friends or relatives.

You can access the full report here: https://dtm.iom.int/lithuania

For more information, please contact Božena Zaborovska-Zdanovič, bzaborovska@iom.int, Tel: +37061705134