Ukrainian Government Reviews Opportunities to Increase Immigration

The Ukrainian government is reviewing the possibilities of easing the regulations so that more immigrants can come to the country. This is promised by the head of the country’s presidential office, Kyrylo Budanov.

The promise was given earlier this month during a meeting with the Kyiv-based business club CEO Club Ukraine. During the nearly hour-long meeting, which Budanov was invited to as a guest, about 20 different topics were discussed.

The country’s energy situation, the strained relations with neighboring countries Hungary and Slovakia, international support for Ukraine, and not least, the status of peace negotiations with Russia were some of the issues covered.

And regarding the peace negotiations, Budanov says that they are complicated by the fact that four major geopolitical players—USA, Russia, China, and the EU—all have interests in the war in different ways.

– At the same time: To say that the peace negotiations are meaningless is not true. I sincerely hope that we will eventually achieve something, he points out.

Increased Immigration

During the meeting with the business club, the issue of increasing immigration to Ukraine was also raised. Many business leaders are calling for labor from countries in Asia and Africa, particularly since so many Ukrainians are either at the front or have left the country.

An increase in immigration from countries such as Bangladesh, India, Colombia, and Ethiopia was mentioned. And Kyrylo Budanov promised the business leaders that the government would review the regulations, especially regarding the list of so-called high-risk countries for migration.

On that list are about 70 countries whose citizens face extra tough requirements to obtain a visa to travel to Ukraine. There is now talk of removing some of those countries from the list.

At the same time, Kyrylo Budanov emphasizes, he is skeptical about solving the labor shortage through increased immigration. The reason is that Ukraine is not perceived as an attractive country for migrants, but rather is used as a springboard to get into the EU.

– For many, especially from Central Asia, it is about entering Ukraine and then migrating further, he says, adding:

– Most do it, let’s be honest, only a small portion stay.

Kyrylo Budanov was previously the head of Ukraine’s military intelligence service (HUR).