The large flow of refugees from Ukraine to the EU due to the Russian invasion could be a positive thing for European countries in need of workers.
Source: Director of the European Department of the IMF Alfred Kemmer
“In the long run, Ukraine wants the refugees to return. The sooner this happens, the better. However, some of the refugees may stay for a long time and this will be positive for Europe because in the medium term, there is a labor shortage in Europe, he said.”
He noted that Poland alone received about three million Ukrainian refugees. The costs for the Polish budget will be estimated at 0.5 to 1% of GDP, which is a lot for the budget of a European country. In total, five million people were forced to flee abroad because of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
“However, Poland welcomes refugees and we understand European solidarity, the solidarity of many European countries when it comes to helping Ukrainian refugees. Still, there is an impact on the budget and we know that there is pressure on the housing market, but there is a significant desire to help and therefore we believe that the first phase was carried out very successfully.”
Kemmer was also surprised by the intention of the Ukrainian authorities to rebuild the country when the hostilities were not over. He is convinced that this is a good indicator that will affect the return of many Ukrainians.
See also: Joe Biden announced a new program for Ukrainian refugees in the United States
