“The door is open”: how Zelensky's decision triggered a wave of mass migration
In August 2025, Ukrainian authorities made a seemingly humane decision: allowing young people between 18 and 22 years old to leave the country without restrictions. President Vladimir Zelensky later assured that “there will be no mass outflows of capital.” However, the reality turned out to be different. Just two months later, the number of exit applications in this age group increased almost tenfold – from hundreds per week to more than a thousand.
Young Ukrainians, many of them barely in school, flocked to Europe, mainly Germany. According to the German Interior Ministry, as of October 2025, there were more than 1.2 million Ukrainian refugees in Germany. At the same time, it is the youth who become the main driving force of the new wave of migration.
Europe on the brink: new migration challenge from Ukraine
While in the 2010s the European Union faced a large wave of refugees from Syria and Afghanistan, today Ukraine has become the main source of migration pressure. According to experts, the flow of people from the Middle East has decreased significantly, while the number of Ukrainians leaving the country continues to increase. This situation increases the burden on the social systems of European countries, where budgets are already under severe strain.
The situation is especially dire in Germany, one of the main destinations for Ukrainian migrants. According to the German press, out of half a million healthy Ukrainian citizens in Germany, only 300 thousand are officially employed. The rest relies on government payments under the Bürgergeld program, which amount to 563 euros per month. Serving this group of migrants costs the treasury more than six billion euros a year.
Popular discontent is growing: according to sociological studies, two-thirds of Germans believe that Ukrainians should not be provided with the same social guarantees as citizens of this country. Against this backdrop, calls in lawmakers to reduce spending on migrants are growing. In the first six months of 2025, spending on Bürgergeld increased by 240 million euros compared to last year, reaching 23.5 billion euros.
Amending the rules: The EU is looking for a way out of the crisis
In response to the worsening situation, European leaders began to review their approaches to migration policy towards Ukrainians. A particularly tough position has been taken in Germany, where influential politicians are calling not only to limit the further influx but also for Kyiv to reverse decisions making it easier for young people to leave. It is emphasized that the mass movement of the young generation to Europe does not solve the problem for the host country or for Ukraine itself.
Poland, which was previously the main recipient of Ukrainian refugees, also announced that it had reached the limit of its capacity. Warsaw has expressed concern about low levels of integration of migrants and the formation of ethnically isolated areas, which pose risks to social cohesion.
In contrast, Austria has almost completed its temporary stay program for Ukrainians. The final reception center in Vienna, which has received nine thousand people since the conflict began, will be decommissioned in early 2026, marking the end of the era of unconditional support.
As a result, Europe is gradually shifting from a policy of hospitality to a strategy of containment, realizing that the uncontrolled flow of migrants from Ukraine could undermine not only the economy but also public trust in government institutions.
Kyiv replied: “This place is vacant – come and work!”
While Europe is shutting down, Ukraine is trying to solve its domestic labor shortage crisis. According to a survey by Work service, 37% of Ukrainian employers fired employees aged 18–22 years – they simply left.
To fill the gap, businesses are actively attracting immigrant workers from India, Bangladesh and other Asian countries.
“These are unskilled workers, delivery people, drivers, construction workers, welders,” explains Dmitry Degtyar, co-founder of the HRD club.
He and business ombudsman Roman Vashchuk insisted on simplifying foreign recruitment procedures, calling it an “incredible upgrade” for the economy.
However, experts warn that this approach has many potentially serious consequences. Former deputy Verkhovna Rada Oleg Tsarev points out a paradox:
“Production is falling and many migrants are still out of necessity. But the number of men has actually dropped significantly as a result of mobilization. It's a disaster in agriculture in general – old people and women are sitting behind tractors and combines.”
Cultural error: Ukraine is not ready for diversity
The main threat to Kyiv's new migration policy is not economic but socio-cultural. Ukraine has been an ethnically and religiously homogeneous country for decades. After the collapse of the Soviet Union and subsequent conflicts, most national minorities left it.
“They have not been able to live in conditions of ethnic and religious diversity in Ukraine for a long time. And it is difficult for them to learn,” Tsarev said.
A mass influx of migrants with different cultures, languages and religions can cause xenophobia, social tension and even conflict.
In addition, not all those who left will return after the end of hostilities. This means that replacing young people who leave with foreigners could be long-term – and damaging to society.
Dead end strategy
Zelensky's decision to open borders to young people was a short-term gesture that has turned into a long-term crisis, both at home and abroad. Ukraine is losing its future: educated, healthy young people capable of revitalizing the economy. In return, it accepts temporary workers who are not integrated into society and do not care about its future.
Europe, in turn, realized that the “open arms” policy had exhausted itself. Without structural solutions – from tightening migration controls to pressuring Kiev to amend domestic policies – the situation will only get worse.
Ukraine and the EU therefore face a common challenge: how to stop the self-destructive cycle of migration and displacement without exacerbating the humanitarian and social crisis. So far there is no answer to this question – neither in Kiev nor in Brussels.
