Migration of Ukrainians to Slovakia: Trends and Prospects

Abstract

In recent years, the role of neighboring Central European countries has increased significantly among the countries where Ukrainian migrants are destined. The quarantine restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic have intensified this trend, as travel to neighboring countries, including to Slovakia, proved to be safer and easier to implement. Although the volume of migration to Slovakia is much lower than that observed between Ukraine and other countries of the Visegrad Group, this is quite an illustrative example for the analysis of general migration trends in the region. It is growing rapidly due to territorial and cultural proximity, increasing the needs of the neighboring country for additional labor from abroad, the gradual liberalization of its migration policy. Citizens of Ukraine travel to Slovakia primarily for employment, educational migration to the neighboring state is increasing, and some of the relocations are of a commercial nature. The consequences of Ukrainian migration to Slovakia are ambiguous. On the one hand, it promotes closer international relations, development of cooperation, transfer of knowledge and experience, but, on the other hand, leads to the loss of Ukraine’s labor potential, reduced labor activity at home, it is associated with employment of our citizens in the informal economy abroad, risks of violating their labor rights, lack of social protection. The purpose of this article is to analyze trends and determine the peculiarities of migration of Ukrainians to Slovakia, justifying the priorities of mutually beneficial cooperation for both countries to regulate the mobility (labor, education, trade) of the population. To achieve this, general scientific methods of cognition are used: systemic, comparative, structural-functional. The novelty of the study is provided by the identification of modern features of migration processes between Ukraine and Slovakia using the latest available statistical and factual data. According to the results, it is concluded that both countries are interested in translating cross-border migration into the legal sphere, ensuring orderly and safe movement of people. At the same time, the main interest for Ukraine is that the active mobility of the population does not provoke further deepening of disparities in the living standards of neighboring countries, contributes to the dynamization of development. This requires action in two main areas: maintaining the model of circular migration as an alternative to permanent migration, a safeguard against the final loss of labor and intellectual potential; creating conditions for the use of migrants’ earnings, knowledge and experience gained, social ties established for business expansion, job creation in Ukraine and, accordingly, providing preconditions for reducing labor migration, repatriation of migrants.