The language and the lack of employment, among the main challenges of Ukrainian refugees in Europe

BRUSELAS, 28 Feb. (EUROPA PRESS) -

One in three Ukrainian refugees in the territory of the European Union already feel part of the country that has welcomed them but, for many others, aspects such as a lack of knowledge of the language or the lack of paid work complicate integration in a context in which It does not seem that the conflict will end in the short term.

This is reflected in a survey by the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA), prepared from 14,500 interviews in Spain, Germany, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Estonia, Hungary, Italy, Poland and Romania and in the which examines the remaining challenges for those who have fled Ukraine in the past year.

Almost one in four people attend language courses, but for the vast majority, lack of knowledge of the language is an obstacle in the educational, work and even health spheres. "It is very difficult to be in a country where you do not understand or speak the language. It is a very important impediment when it comes to solving many problems," explains a woman who now lives in Germany.

59 percent of children receive educational support from Ukraine, either through online classes or with some type of specific material, the same proportion of refugees who pay for housing where they are, although often this also happens by sharing facilities or lacking privacy.

Regarding work, only a third have a paid job and, for 33 percent of women, working is unfeasible because they have minors or dependents in charge. 48 percent of the people interviewed acknowledge that their new job is below their educational level and 30 percent declare that they have been exploited.

Nearly eight in ten have difficulty making ends meet, according to the study, which notes that one in three refugees want to return to Ukraine.

The director of the FRA, Michael O'Flaherty, has praised the mobilization of governments in the face of "the biggest humanitarian crisis in Europe since the Second World War", but has stressed the need to "adopt effective long-term measures that allow societies hosts and displaced people to adjust to the upheaval resulting from this war.