A new initiative by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) seeks to encourage Lithuanians to get to know Ukrainians living in their country through hospitality and convivial exchanges. Dubbed ‘Invite your Ukrainian neighbour for breakfast’, the initiative kicked off on the November 7th with a breakfast hosted by Eitvydas Bingelis, Head of the IOM Office in Vilnius, at IOM’s Migration Information and Integration Centre ‘MICenter’, in the presence of H.E. Petro Bešta, Ukrainian Ambassador to Lithuania, and Kateryna Serdyuk, a Ukrainian war refugee. 

The three discussed about Ukrainians in Lithuania and the challenges of integration that some of them face. Bingelis stressed that a smoother integration of Ukrainians is not only a matter for state institutions or for Ukrainians themselves, but also something that Lithuanian citizens can and should contribute to.  

“The majority of Lithuanians have a positive attitude towards Ukrainians and want them to integrate successfully – to work, create jobs, pay taxes, learn the Lithuanian language and be part of the country. However, while most Lithuanians have had some contact with Ukrainians in recent years, there is still a lack of sufficient knowledge about them, and this initiative – inviting Ukrainians for breakfast – is an invitation to open our doors to our neighbours more boldly,” said Bingelis. 

A survey conducted by the public opinion research company Spinter Research for IOM in Lithuania revealed that only 26% of respondents have had personal contact with migrants from third countries, including Ukrainians, in the last two years. A much higher proportion (51%) have only observed migrants but had no contact with them. The vast majority (89%) of those who have encountered migrants from third countries have met war refugees from Ukraine.  

“Ukrainians have been forced to flee brutal Russian aggression. For them, mostly women and children, it was not a matter of choice. It was about saving their lives. We are grateful for everything that the Lithuanian Government, municipalities, international institutions, NGOs, volunteers and Lithuanians have done to help Ukrainians since the beginning of the war. Thanks to all these efforts, many Ukrainians have recovered and have found a safe, temporary place in Lithuania,” said Ambassador Bešta. 

The Ambassador stressed that Ukrainians were responsible people who appreciated warm hospitality, while at the same time trying to integrate in order to better support themselves. “Every Ukrainian today hopes for victory and a stop to aggression. Every Ukrainian outside Ukraine hopes to return to Ukraine and rebuild it as soon as possible. There is unprecedented solidarity, internationally and in every partner country, especially in Lithuania. This is the only way to a common victory. We believe that the effective work of international organizations such as IOM and the UN family will make a significant contribution to solidarity,” Ambassador Bešta added. 

Kateryna Serdiuk arrived in Lithuania from Ukraine one and a half years ago. “I came to Lithuania by chance. First, my daughter and I were in Poland for a few days. As soon as we got to Lithuania, we witnessed the support of the Lithuanian people, so many Ukrainian flags, so many kind and sincere people, and we decided to wait for the end of the war here,” she said.  

Kateryna recalls that it was the contact with local people and Lithuanian psychologists, who organized help for Ukrainian women and children, that helped her recover. When she realized that she would spend some time in Lithuania, Kateryna set out to start her own business. 

“I had no business development experience in Ukraine. And I came to a new country with different rules and laws. The locals helped me a lot along the way with free legal and accounting advice which has been very helpful. Now, I have two physical stores , where everybody can buy vyshyvankas and we are actively developing our online shop. I am officially employing five Ukrainian women who are refugees like me,” said Kateryna. “Moreover, our products are mainly Ukrainian, so I am very happy to be able to help Ukrainian businesses continue to develop in such difficult times,” she added.   

Kateryna hopes that both Lithuanians and Ukrainians will actively participate in the IOM breakfast initiative. 

IOM invites all Lithuanians to organize convivial breakfasts with Ukrainians. Lithuanian public figures and celebrities are called upon to set a positive example. 

“Lithuanian citizens are making a very strong contribution to the assistance to Ukraine, both financially and in-kind, but human contact and friendship are no less important,” said Bingelis. “We believe that by getting to know our Ukrainian neighbours better, we can help them integrate in Lithuania, learn our language, and understand our culture,” he concluded. It was made 25 breakfasts in different Lithuania’s cities. 

According to the Lithuanian Migration Department, over 50,000 Ukrainians are currently living in Lithuania, the vast majority of them war refugees. Most Ukrainians are registered with the Migration Department Offices in Vilnius, Kaunas and Klaipėda. National Employment Service statistics indicate that 43,500 Ukrainians were employed in the country in the first half of 2023, most of them in medium skilled jobs.