27% Ukrainian refugees not to return, 40% yet to decide

About 27 per cent of the Ukrainian refugees livening in Finland said that they no longer planned to return to Ukraine, while 33 per cent had decided to return to their country after the end of the war or sooner, according to a survey conducted by the Ministry of the Interior.

The Ministry investigated the situation and service needs of Ukrainians who had fled to Finland by means of the online survey, to which 2,136 responses were received from 273 localities, said the ministry in a press release on Monday.

About 40 per cent of the respondents, however, said their plans were still open. Access to employment in Finland was one of the most important factors influencing the plans, in addition to the state of the war in Ukraine.

The survey took place in June and July 2022.

Since February 2022, some 44,000 Ukrainian nationals have arrived in Finland to apply for temporary protection or asylum.