Ukraine Lifts Overseas Travel Ban for Men Aged 18 to 22
Migration to Poland Doubles, Germany Sees Tenfold Increase Since August
"An Entire Generation Driven Abroad Who Will Not Return"
As Ukraine lifted its ban on overseas travel for men aged 18 to 22 in August, reports have emerged that the number of young people leaving the country has surged, raising concerns among both the military and businesses. On December 22 (local time), Yonhap News, citing the French daily Le Monde, reported on the migration patterns of young Ukrainians.
On the 7th of last month (local time), as Russian attacks occurred in Chernihiv, Ukraine, employees are working at a post office. Photo to aid understanding of the article. Photo by Reuters Yonhap News Agency
According to Yonhap News, following Russia's invasion in February 2022, the Ukrainian government had prohibited men aged 18 to 60 from leaving the country without special permission. However, at the end of August this year, Ukraine revised its border control procedures for men aged 18 to 22. The stated reasons were to provide more opportunities for young people to study abroad and to allow those already living overseas to travel freely between their host countries and Ukraine, thereby maintaining their ties to their homeland.
As a result, there are assessments that this has triggered a mass exodus of young Ukrainians. According to statistics obtained by the US media outlet Politico from Polish border authorities, a total of 98,500 young Ukrainians crossed the border in September and October. This figure is double the 43,500 who left the country from January to August this year, before the border control revision for young people.
According to statistics from the German Ministry of the Interior, the number of Ukrainian entrants aged 18 to 22 increased tenfold, from around 100 per week in mid-August to over 1,000 per week since mid-September. Last month, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz even asked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to reduce the number of young refugees.
The departure of young people has placed an even greater burden on Ukrainian businesses, which are already facing labor shortages due to the conscription of men aged 25 to 60. According to a survey released on December 3 by the Ukrainian recruitment platform Robota, 71% of companies reported an increase in resignations among young employees since August.
Serhii Rakhmanin, a member of the opposition Holos party, told local media last month, "We have driven an entire generation abroad who will not return. This is not a loss for the military, but a loss for the economy." He added, "There are no longer people who should be actively participating in national reconstruction after the war. Even by the most conservative estimates, at least one-third of young people have left the country," and "I do not think many will come back."
In reality, young people are leaving their war-torn homeland. Daniil, an 18-year-old student living in Kyiv, told the media, "Recently, two of my friends left the country to earn higher salaries, even for the same jobs, in pursuit of better opportunities." Timur Rumomanov, a young man who settled in Austria before turning 18, said, "Even after the war ends, there will be many problems, and even if peace comes, Russia will still be a threat," declaring he would not return. He added, "I just want to live an ordinary life, but I think that will be harder in Ukraine than in Europe."
Dmytro Knyaziuk, a young man who settled in Warsaw, Poland, said, "I like Poland, but I would prefer to live in Ukraine because it is my homeland," but added, "It is difficult to make a decision until the war is over."
Ukraine's population, which was about 42 million in February 2022 before the war, has now decreased to 36 million, with a significant portion residing in areas occupied by Russian forces. Some warn that the population could decline to 25 million by 2051.
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