Migration Scale: Libanova named the number of Ukrainians who left for abroad due to the war.

According to the director of the Institute of Demography and Social Research named after Mykhailo Ptukha, Ella Libanova, more than 4 million Ukrainians have left Ukraine since the beginning of the invasion. However, she claims that the figures of 6, 7, or 8 million are inflated.

This statement was made by Libanova during a discussion about Ukrainians who are abroad and in occupied territories. She expressed her opinion on the possibility of these people returning and obtaining citizenship.

'Currently, there may be slightly over 4 million Ukrainian migrants abroad. Regarding Russia, the exact numbers are unknown due to the lack of reliable data, but definitely not 6, 7, or more than 8 million,' Libanova noted.

According to Eurostat, one third of the registered refugees in EU countries are children and teenagers up to 18 years old, and another 6% are individuals aged 65 and older. The rest are of working age, between 18 and 64 years old.

Additionally, about 3 million Ukrainians are labor migrants who left before February 24, 2022.

'Currently, it is very difficult to predict who of these people will return and who will stay abroad. This decision will be made not now but later, when they assess the situation in Ukraine and the country of residence, as well as the availability of assistance. If host countries stop providing generous aid that encourages our people to stay there, some of them may return,' Libanova added.

According to Libanova, the majority of Ukrainians are in four countries: Germany (approximately 1.2 million), Poland (approximately 1 million), and the Czech Republic (approximately 300 thousand).

'The fourth country is the United Kingdom. There is no data on the exact number of Ukrainians there. But it should be noted that many people go to the UK not with the intention of returning. The British do not encourage dependency on social benefits, so if our people have found work there, they are likely to stay,' Libanova reported.