Migration Processes in Ukraine

Nowadays, the leading oblast in Ukraine in attracting foreigners is Odessa. During the last year, the population of Odessa city increased in 12 thousand citizens of foreign countries. For the rest cities and oblasts this figure amounts 0,5-1,5 thousand migrants a year. Odessa combines the advantages of a resort city with the facilities of a big administrative center. Furthermore, Odessa along with Kyiv and Kharkiv is famous for its educational institutions. That’s why the majority of newcomers is students from China and other third world countries.

Being much more expensive for living, Crimea, nevertheless, is another resort area which attracts migration. Among other areas of Ukraine attractive for migrants are neighboring to Russia, Kharkiv and Donetsk oblasts. The majority of migrants who came here are Russians. Kharkiv, for instance, attracts people with job opportunities and, as mentioned before, with a big number of educational institutions.

In general, according to the information of the State Committee of Statistics of Ukraine, there is an outflow of population in the majority of regions of Ukraine. Especially, Ukrainians are not satisfied with the life conditions in Kyrovograd, Luhansk, and Kherson oblasts (the eastern and central Ukraine). People from small cities can’t find job there. Seeking for new opportunities, many of them go to the Russian Federation. In western Ukraine the leading oblasts in the population outflow are Khmelnitsk, Lviv, and Chernihiv oblasts. Many Ukrainians from these regions also look for better job opportunities in other regions of Ukraine and abroad – in the EU.

The tendencies of recent years showed that the capital of Ukraine – Kyiv has lost a bit of its attractiveness for migrants. Although, it is still the leading city in the population inflow, its tempo is slowing down. It can be explained by expensive life in Kyiv. Many people can’t afford cost of rent. Besides, people are not satisfied with growing number of the traffic problems in Kyiv. As an alternative, some people relocate to such cities as Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Lviv, or Odessa, which can offer similar standards of life for more reasonable prices.