A recent survey has unveiled that the proportion of Ukrainians intending to permanently reside in Ireland has grown from 41% to 53%, amid the thousands that have migrated to Ireland since the Russian conflict commenced. There has been an influx of over 100,000 Ukrainians in Ireland under the provisional protection regulation since March 2022.
The survey was conducted by the campaigners at Ukrainian Action Ireland, focusing on 8,329 Ukrainians – 4,678 adults and 3,651 children. This being the third survey of such nature, the resulting data enlightens us about the changes in employment levels, academic qualification, fluency in English, and several other aspects since the Ukrainians started migrating to Ireland.
Comparably to 2023, the percentage of Ukrainians accommodated in state-funded hotels or hostels has fallen from 55% to 44%. In 2023, only 8% were affording housing at the local market price, which has seen a small rise to 11%. Additionally, the number of individuals seeking permanent residence in Ireland has risen from 41% to 53% since 2023, whilst those wanting to go back to Ukraine has decreased from 25.5% to 19%.
Only 1% were planning to relocate to a different country, while 27% were uncertain of the answer. Between 2023 and 2024, the Ukrainians employed and presently working in Ireland, witnessed a jump from 29.5% to 43%. Nonetheless, the majority are not employed in their professional field.
With regard to the rest, 35% are actively seeking employment, 19% are jobless and not actively seeking work, while a small 3% are retired. Majority of the respondents are highly educated, with 74% possessing higher education, and out of this, 57% have a qualification equivalent to a master’s degree, specialist’s degree, or a doctorate.
Among the respondents with vocational and higher education, 24% said their occupation doesn’t require requalification to work in Ireland. Albeit, 40% needed to renew their qualifications, and 6% reported that their profession is not acknowledged at all.
According to the information given, among those who required re-certification, there are 2 per cent of them who have successfully completed the procedure, while 13 per cent are presently progressing through it. It was observed that a significant number i.e., almost 48 per cent, hadn’t yet initiated their procedure. The confirmation process was found to be challenging for around 35 per cent of the participants.
The survey revealed that 93 per cent of the respondents were employed before migrating from Ukraine, mostly in large urban areas and on an average, they had 12 years of experience in their recent professional field. The survey also highlighted an interesting correlation between English language proficiency and the rate of employment. From mere 22 per cent employment among the ones with basic English proficiency, the figures escalated to 73 per cent for those fluent in the language.
When compared to the data of 2023, the present information showed a positive growth in English language proficiency with the percentage of those claiming their proficiency “above average” rising from 35 per cent to 41 per cent. In addition, there was a slight increase of 2 per cent in the intermediate English proficiency category, making the total 22 per cent.
Also, 18 per cent of respondents claimed a pre-intermediate grasp of English, and a close 18.5 per cent stated that they were at a “basic” English level. The survey results indicated that younger and more highly educated respondents generally scored better in English proficiency.
The respondents in the survey were from all Irish counties, ranging from 902 respondents in Dublin to a mere 38 in Longford. The chief motivations for selecting Ireland over other European nations by the respondents included English being the prime mode of communication, provision of state accommodation, geographical distance from Russia, and having kinsfolk or companions residing in Ireland.
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