Bulgaria — 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.

Bulgaria - Key findings:

• Top oblasts of origin Odeska (15%), Zaporizka (14%), Dnipropetrovska (14%), Donetska (12%), Kharkivska (11%), Mykolaivska (10%).
• Intentions to move: no intention to move (84%), move back to place of origin in Ukraine (4%),  to another country (0.4%).
• Employment status: employed (12%), unemployed and looking for a job (14%), unemployed and not looking for a job (16%), retired (31%).
• Top needs upon return: cash support (82%), medical needs (49%), information (47%), housing (42%).
• Top areas of assistance received: financial support (89%), vouchers (80%), food supplies (70%).
• Top inclusion challenges: language (10%), financial issues (10%), employment (4%), housing (3%), services (3%).