The Russian war of aggression in Ukraine, which began in February 2022, triggered the fastest and largest displacement in Europe since the Second World War. In the wake of the war, more than six million persons left Ukraine and sought protection and safety in neighbouring countries and beyond. The majority of displaced Ukrainians found refuge in the European Union. A new EMN study looks at displaced persons from Ukraine in the critical first period of February 2022 to June 2023.

The study focuses on the measures that were put in place in Austria to facilitate the provision of protection and care to displaced Ukrainians. The study engages with the Regulation on Displaced Persons, enacted in March 2022, which established the legal basis for the rapid admission of displaced persons from Ukraine in Austria.

In addition to providing an overview of the legal framework and measures taken, the study also highlights issues that need to be resolved and points out challenges, including, labour market integration, housing, and the need for solutions once temporary protection expires. Given that temporary protection can be granted for a maximum of three years, the question how to find a durable solution for displaced persons after their displaced person status has expired at a European and national level is of high relevance. As for housing, the study shows a growing trend for housing in organized accommodation since July 2022. This trend deviates from developments of the initial stage in the reception of displaced persons from Ukraine, not least due to a drop in the supply of private accommodation. As for labour market integration, the study points out that although in spring 2023 access to the Austrian labour market for displaced persons from Ukraine was simplified as the former requirement for a work permit was abolished, labour market participation remained limited. The study findings indicate that one of the reasons for the challenges in the domain of labour market integration is the additional earnings limit imposed under the basic care system, i.e. the system that provides housing and other material or in-kind support for displaced persons (and asylum-seekers) in need.

The study provides a compact overview of the developments in connection with displaced persons from Ukraine and refers interested readers to more detailed EMN publications on the topic.