Voice of Ukraine

As the war in Ukraine enters its third year, a pan-European team here at Verian, including both public policy and evidence experts, continue to run the only longitudinal study designed to gather robust data and insights on the views, priorities and challenges facing displaced Ukrainian nationals who are now living in host countries across Europe.

Since we started our Voice of Ukraine study in June 2022, we have gathered over 6,500 respondents across six waves of research, giving a voice to a group of people who loom large in the news but whose individual experiences are often not clearly heard or understood.

Our longitudinal research programme covers three themes consistently across all research waves:

• The thoughts of displaced Ukrainians regarding their future plans,
• Their pathway to integration and how this has evolved,
• Their views of Ukrainian, European and international institutions.

At this point in time, it is unclear for how long the war in Ukraine will continue. Given this level of uncertainty, it is understandable that many Ukrainians are starting to form strong roots in their host nations, particularly those with children who are in school and forming friendships and relationships.

The decision to settle outside of Ukraine does not come easily to our respondents. However, we’re starting to see more respondents who do not intend to go back to Ukraine and who are planning to settle elsewhere in Europe.

2. In Poland they work. In Germany, they study.

Approximately half of our respondents in the study are now living in either Germany or Poland, but the focus in each country shows an interesting, but contrasting emphasis on work and study. 

We intend to continue the Voice of Ukraine to monitor the ongoing evolution of needs, situations, and migration trajectories of displaced people across the EU, with our teams currently working on research waves seven and eight.

The data and evidence from our Voice of Ukraine study is valuable insight for governments and policy makers to make informed decisions and to plan effectively, particularly as they move away from emergency reception towards the medium- and longer-term integration of millions of Ukrainians in Europe.

For the release of our research from the seventh wave, we are hosting a webinar alongside experts from two of our sponsors, SciencesPo and ifo Institute.

You can register below for the webinar which will be held on 24 April at 10am CET and 11am in the UK.

Presenters and panellists will include:

• Yves Fradier, Director of Survey and Methods, Verian in France
• Panu Poutvaara, Director of the ifo Center for International Institutional Comparisons and Migration Research and Professor of Economics, University of Munich (LMU)
• Thomas Lacroix, CNRS director of research, CERI-Sciences Po

We are also honoured that in 2023, we were awarded the Tony Cowling Foundation Industry Innovation Award for our work on Voice of Ukraine. 

The judging panel singled out 'Voice of Ukraine' for its exceptional use of research to uncover underrepresented populations, and commented 

“This study is not merely about presenting insights into migration dynamics. It suggests potential metrics to guide effective policy planning and responses, ultimately aiding in the reintegration of displaced individuals.” 

Tony Cowling Foundation Judging Panel 2023 

We are sincerely grateful to the Tony Cowling Foundation for this award, and we used the award prize money to help fund our 2024 waves of research, enabling us to continue our work on Voice of Ukraine. 

You can read more about the Tony Cowling Foundation and our Award here - Tony Cowling Foundation