Latvia — Surveys with Refugees from Ukraine: Needs, Intentions, and Integration Challenges (Jan-Mar 2023)

This report is based on a survey of displacement patterns, needs and intentions conducted by IOM’s Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM) in the 11 countries included in the Regional Response Plan for Ukraine in 2023: 6 countries neighbouring Ukraine – Belarus, Hungary, Poland, Republic of Moldova, Romania and Slovakia – and other 5 countries particularly impacted by the arrivals of refugees from Ukraine since the start of the war in February 2022 – Bulgaria, Czechia, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. 

Key findings:

•Top oblasts of origin: Kharkivska (19%), Luhanska (17%), Donetska (17%), Zaporizka (10%), Khersonska (9%).

• Intentions to move: 36% have no intentions to move, 35% want to move to a different country (Top 3 destinations were: Germany, Poland, and Finland), 9% would like to get back to their region of origin in Ukraine, 7% want to move to another location in Ukraine, 1% expressed a wish to move within Latvia.

• Employment status: employed (17%), unemployed and looking for a job (17%), unemployed and not looking for a job (17%), retired (19%), self-employed (8%), student (5%), daily worker (4%), on a maternity/ paternity leave (3%).

• Top needs upon return:* housing (41%), cash support (40%), employment (35%), information (21%), transportation (15%), medical needs (10%), trainings (5%).

• Top areas of assistance received:* food products (90%), transportation (60%), personal hygiene and sanitary supplies (48%), clothes and shoes (34%), long-term accommodation (30%), financial support (22%), toys (13%).

• Top inclusion challenges:* financial issues (36%), language barrier (32%), employment (28%), racism (21%), housing (19%), information (15%), documentation (13%), recognition of disabilities (13%).

* more than one answer possible