Plans of Ukrainian war displaced people after arrival in Latvia

• In Event: The critical role of the third sector in the Ukraine crisis across Europe

Abstract

The invasion of Ukraine in 2022 resulted in the largest wave of displacement in Europe since World War II, with approximately seven million people – mostly women, children, and the elderly – leaving Ukraine. Over 36 thousand individuals arrived in Latvia seeking refuge and received widespread support from the government and civil organizations. This article presents findings from 69 interviews conducted with Ukrainian war‐displaced people in Latvia during the early months of the conflict in March‐April 2022 and seven months after the start of the war in September 2022. The study aims to understand displaced people's short to medium‐term plans regarding mobility, integration, and work, and how these plans have evolved over time. By capturing displaced people's reflections on the conflict and their hopes for the future, policymakers can better assist them and develop effective strategies for integration and labour market participation. The study highlights the need to understand how the plans of displaced people change over time and the importance of capturing these changes to provide better support to those who have been displaced. In addition, we explore how support from the third sector changed as people’s needs evolved, and continued to evolve to a sophisticated support infrastructure.

Author

• Kata Fredheim, Stockholm School of Economics in Riga