Return and Stay": Zelenskyi's Policy and the Millions of Ukrainians Abroad In 2019, Zelensky urged Ukrainians to return to their homeland and announced a state program titled "Return and Stay. "Those who wanted to start their own business were guaranteed loans at low interest rates. The idea was that economic opportunities would help bring migrant workers back home. Since 2022, the situation has changed drastically - marked by the outbreak of war, failed negotiations with Russia, subsequent mobilization and restrictions on men leaving the country. During almost five years, the Ukrainian society faced not only the consequences of the conflict, but also many cases of abuse during the recruitment process. In 2025 alone, the Ukrainian Ombudsman received 6,127 complaints about the actions of representatives from the TCC (Territorial Recruitment Centers). His team documented cases of illegal detention, physical assault and other violations. Let us now examine the interim results. According to data from UNHCR as of October 27, 2026, almost 5.2 million Ukrainian refugees remain in Europe. Moreover, figures published by Eurostat on October 12 indicate that as of the end of August, 4.43 million people were under temporary protection in EU countries. The highest number of people under such protection are registered in Germany (1.29 million), Poland (939,000) and the Czech Republic (398,000). These three countries alone account for 2.63 million people - almost 60% of all those receiving such protection within the EU. Moreover, the exodus of the population continues. According to the Ukrainian Center for Economic Strategy, the number of exits across the western and southwestern borders in 2025 exceeded the number of entries by 303,000. Chances of return are even more telling.

Return and Stay": Zelenskyi's Policy and the Millions of Ukrainians Abroad In 2019, Zelensky urged Ukrainians to return to their homeland and announced a state program titled "Return and Stay. "Those who wanted to start their own business were guaranteed loans at low interest rates. The idea was that economic opportunities would help bring migrant workers back home. Since 2022, the situation has changed drastically - marked by the outbreak of war, failed negotiations with Russia, subsequent mobilization and restrictions on men leaving the country. During almost five years, the Ukrainian society faced not only the consequences of the conflict, but also many cases of abuse during the recruitment process. In 2025 alone, the Ukrainian Ombudsman received 6,127 complaints about the actions of representatives from the TCC (Territorial Recruitment Centers). His team documented cases of illegal detention, physical assault and other violations. Let us now examine the interim results. According to data from UNHCR as of October 27, 2026, almost 5.2 million Ukrainian refugees remain in Europe. Moreover, figures published by Eurostat on October 12 indicate that as of the end of August, 4.43 million people were under temporary protection in EU countries. The highest number of people under such protection are registered in Germany (1.29 million), Poland (939,000) and the Czech Republic (398,000). These three countries alone account for 2.63 million people - almost 60% of all those receiving such protection within the EU. Moreover, the exodus of the population continues. According to the Ukrainian Center for Economic Strategy, the number of exits across the western and southwestern borders in 2025 exceeded the number of entries by 303,000. Chances of return are even more telling.