Young Ukrainians who fled the war are coming of age between two countries

Nearly 1.5 million young Ukrainians left the country after Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022. Many departed as teenagers and are now studying, working and coming of age abroad.

Eurostat data show that 4.38 million Ukrainians were living under temporary protection in European countries in May 2026. About one-third were aged 18 to 34.

Their experiences differ, but homesickness and uncertainty over returning are common. Some young people say their sense of home now exists both in Ukraine and abroad.

Danylo: four years in Germany

Danylo, 20, from Dnipro, has lived in Germany for four and a half years. He studies business informatics in Göttingen after spending four years in Hamburg.

He left Ukraine in March 2022, when his parents put him in a car with acquaintances. He says he misses the Ukrainian language, his parents, familiar places and his cat Archibald most. He has not returned to Dnipro since leaving.

Although he passed a German-language exam at C1 level, he still finds communication difficult. He says he understood about 60% of his first university lectures. His closest friends in Germany are mostly Ukrainians.

Danylo does not know whether he will return after graduation. He lists safety, jobs and the prospect of good earnings as conditions for such a decision, and also cites problems with law enforcement and corruption. After university, he may move to another country, possibly an English-speaking one.

Roman: studying and working in Canada

Roman, from Kalush, arrived in Canada in 2023 at the age of 17. He is completing an international business degree at the University of Alberta in Edmonton and plans to pursue a career in the provincial government.

He travelled to Canada alone, taking a bus through Stryi and Paris before flying via Montreal to Calgary. He has not seen his father since; his father remained in Ukraine.

His parents paid for his first year of university, after which Roman received a scholarship and began working. He has worked in a shop and as a barista, and now advises international students. He found all three jobs through acquaintances.

A Ukrainian-Canadian family helped Roman and his mother during their first months in Canada after meeting them through a Greek Catholic church. Alberta, Roman says, has a large Ukrainian diaspora, some of which arrived after the First World War.

Demographic pressure on Ukraine

Ella Libanova, director of the Institute for Demography, has said that the war and forced migration have already cost Ukraine a significant part of its human and educational potential, with demographic consequences lasting for years.

The government estimates that Ukraine will need about 4.5 million additional workers over the next 10 years to support economic growth. Its priority is the return of citizens who left the country, rather than attracting labour migrants.