FMR 72

Ukraine: Insights and implications

September 2023

The war on Ukraine has caused forced displacement on a scale and at a speed not witnessed in Europe since World War II. This issue seeks to address questions that have arisen out of the crisis, reflecting on the lessons learned from the immediate response and the implications for the international refugee and asylum system.

FMR 72

Ukraine: Insights and implications

September 2023

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Emily Arnold-Fernandez and Catherine Meredith

From the Editors

The war on Ukraine has caused forced displacement on a scale and at a speed not witnessed in Europe since World War II. This issue of FMR seeks to address questions that have arisen out of the crisis, reflecting on the lessons learned from the immediate response and the implications for the international refugee and asylum system.

Pascale Moreau

Foreword

The war on Ukraine has uprooted people and wrought hardship, separation and suffering on millions of households on an epic, historic scale. Social theorists have long noted that disasters have a paradoxical tendency to bring out the best in humanity, providing ‘a glimpse of who else we ourselves may be and what else our society could become.’ The range of topics covered in this special edition on Ukraine attest to how much has been accomplished – but also to the challenges that lie ahead.

Mariia Didenko

Ukrainian youth and war: how to turn fears into strengths?

Youth in Ukraine are supporting each other and their communities. Their experiences offer insights and coping strategies for all those dealing with the challenges of war.

Gemma Woods and Meron Yared

Implementing the Temporary Protection Directive

The lessons that have emerged from the implementation of the Temporary Protection Directive have implications far beyond the Ukraine refugee crisis.

Adrian Pais, Doreen Pais, Monique den Otter, Frans Schoot and Inna Borovyk

A Dutch community’s creative collaboration to host Ukrainian refugees

A local municipality, a faith-based organisation and a secular grassroots organisation have combined their strengths and capabilities to provide for Ukrainian refugees in the Netherlands.

Krish Kandiah

The UK’s Homes for Ukraine scheme: a model for the future?

Tens of thousands of people in the UK have opened their homes to Ukrainians. An examination of this historic welcome offers important insights for future schemes aimed at helping refugee groups and vulnerable people.

Anna Kalinichenko, Jasmine Simperingham and Philip Worthington

Pro bono collaboration within the legal community’s response to displacement from Ukraine

Lessons about collaboration and refugee inclusion from the legal community’s response to the needs of people displaced from Ukraine could help inform future responses.

Aleksandra Minkiewicz, Pietro Mirabelli, Agnieszka Nosowska and Larissa Pelham

Equality versus equity: a case study from Poland

Poland responded generously to the influx of refugees from Ukraine, providing significant access to its social protection system. Despite this, however, hardship among refugees persists. There are lessons to be drawn from Poland’s approach.

Nataliia Makaruk and Louise Thaller

The needs of Ukrainian refugees in urban areas of neighbouring countries

Ukrainian refugees settling in major cities in neighbouring countries require a more consistent, sustainable local response and integration opportunities.

Daniel J Beers

Life in limbo: temporary protection for Ukrainians in the US

Temporary protection mechanisms have offered Ukrainians safe harbour in the US but leave them in a precarious state of legal limbo.

Lidia Kuzemska

War-displaced Ukrainian citizens in Russia

Without support from international actors, displaced Ukrainians in Russia are in a precarious situation reliant on volunteer help and on State aid that is conditional upon the acquisition of Russian citizenship.

Lauren Murray, Jasper Linke and Raluca Stoican

The protection needs identified by displaced Ukrainian children and adolescents

Research with displaced Ukrainian children and adolescents demonstrates that humanitarian actors need to provide opportunities for them to express their concerns, feelings and opinions.

Aleksejs Ivashuk, Sofiia Kordonets and Jyothi Kanics

The forgotten victims of war: Ukraine’s stateless

War has exacerbated the severe difficulties faced by stateless people in Ukraine. Barriers to accessing humanitarian aid, safe passage and protection need to be addressed.

Christine Fricke, Nataliia Gusak and Andrii Kryshtal

How language affects access to services and information

Effective support for people fleeing the war in Ukraine requires an understanding of their language and communication needs and preferences.

Chiara Valenti

Unseen challenges: risks faced by IDPs with disabilities in Ukraine

IDPs with disabilities in Ukraine face heightened risks. More initiatives are needed that prioritise disability-inclusive approaches, employ data-driven decision-making, and actively involve people with disabilities in response efforts.

Luciana Caffarelli, Hester Clark and Simon Harris

Supporting older people in Ukraine’s conflict

Humanitarian response in the current conflict needs to better recognise the diversity of experience among older Ukrainians, target assistance to their specific requirements, and provide support to them where they are.

Lindsey N Kingston and Igho Ekakitie

How Black African students experienced forced displacement from Ukraine

The forced migration journeys of Black African students in Ukraine highlight the vulnerabilities that minority non-nationals experienced during the 2022 Russian invasion.

Caroline Dulin Brass, Manuela Moy and Yoko Iwasa

Protection from sexual exploitation and abuse: reflections from the first year of the emergency

Protection from sexual exploitation and abuse is an integral part of the Ukraine refugee response. A number of policy implications, innovations and lessons for the ongoing response and for future crises have emerged.

Sandra Pertek, Irina Kuznetsova and Iuliia Tsarevska

Ukrainian internally displaced women at risk of sexual and gender-based violence

Internal displacement in Ukraine brings with it increased risks of sexual and gender-based violence. Recent research findings offer recommendations to reduce risks in transit and to support internally displaced women with housing, access to work and mental health support.

Heather Komenda

Human trafficking in times of conflict: the case of Ukraine

With many risk factors for trafficking present in the Ukraine conflict, why does there appear not to have been – as yet – a surge in cases of trafficking?

Siobhan Simojoki

Realising the Action Agenda on Internal Displacement in Ukraine

The UN and its partners are grappling with ways to support the Government of Ukraine in promoting solutions to internal displacement, in line with the Action Agenda.

Nicholas Noe and Hardin Lang

Breaking the cycle: localising humanitarian aid in Ukraine

Localising the humanitarian response in Ukraine would improve the sustainability and reach of the overall response – and set a valuable precedent. Addressing barriers to localisation and Ukrainians demanding reform are key.

Reo Morimitsu and Supriya Akerkar

Rethinking forced migrants’ well-being: lessons from Ukraine

Five years after their initial displacement, Ukrainian IDPs show relatively high levels of posttraumatic growth; their experiences offer insights for practitioners seeking to promote psychosocial well-being among displaced populations.

Sally Gowland

The role of media and information in supporting internally displaced women in Ukraine

Providing accessible and practical advice through digital platforms could support female IDPs dealing with the economic, psychosocial and health impacts of the war.

Zita Lengyel-Wang

The use of digital technologies in the Hungarian refugee response

A well-managed Facebook group can mobilise hundreds of thousands of people to maximise peer-to-peer aid, be an effective real-time communication channel between organisations and volunteers, and serve as the focal point of an online refugee aid ecosystem.

Susanne Klink and Alex Mundt

Boosting the socio-economic inclusion of refugees from Ukraine

With many Ukrainian refugees facing prolonged stays in host countries, they require effective access to decent work, education, and social and financial services.

Emiliya Bratanova van Harten

Integration support for temporary protection holders

The Temporary Protection Directive does not contribute to an effective integration process. Measures to facilitate refugee integration need to be put in place even if return is the preferred durable solution.

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