Ukrainian migration to Austria: challenges and peculiarities of social adaptation

The article attempts to outline the specifics of Ukrainian migration to Austria based on the generalization of official data from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine on the number of Ukrainian citizens registered with the consular authorities in Austria, as well as data from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. Summarizing the results of an empirical sociological study conducted by Ipsos.SA on behalf of the UN High Commissioner’s Office using the online survey method in January-March 2023 among 1,500 Ukrainian citizens representing 553 households who have been forced to migrate to Austria since the beginning of the war, allowed us to outline the existing trends in the social adaptation of Ukrainians to Austrian society. The subjective indicator of migrants’ adaptability was the level of satisfaction with the organization of their life and the level of support provided by the recipient country. The socio-demographic profile of Ukrainian migrants, the level of their employment at the place of temporary residence, the degree of integration into the host community, and the motivation to return to Ukraine for permanent residence were studied in detail. The generalizations made it possible to outline the negative consequences of Ukrainian migration to Austria and to characterize the main stages of development and implementation of state adaptation and integration programs. An equally important achievement is the authors’ attempt to develop targeted practical recommendations on possible areas for expanding work with Ukrainian migrants in Austria, in particular, taking into account their needs and requests, as well as the capabilities and interests of the host country. Their further implementation will contribute to the development of the Austrian economy, strengthening of Austrian-Ukrainian relations, liberalization of migration policy and gaining experience in regulating migration processes. It will also enable return/circular migration of Ukrainians, which is extremely important for both Ukraine and Austria.