The Eastern European Region

Kyiv, Ukraine | Pokrovsk, Ukraine

Forced migration in Eastern Europe has historically followed the dynamics of the Cold War and periods of national economic instability. Our two RIT cases in the region focus on the migrations of over a million Internally Displaced Persons in Ukraine who have fled conflict zones in Crimea and the Donbas since 2014 (dark grey on map). Some of these migrants transformed small towns in eastern Ukraine like Pokrovsk. Others joined a mix of economic migrants from across Ukraine settling in the political and economic hub of the country, Kyiv, seeking better work or educational opportunities.

Large arrows represent primary migration of IDPs from conflict areas; thinner arrows represent secondary migrations where IDPs join other migrants seeking work and educational opportunities in Kyiv.

Our RIT cases demonstrate how even within countries, migrant integration can be a challenge due to subtle cultural, linguistic, governance, and job skills differences from city to city. It also shows how individual and neighborhood-level experiences connect with city-level transformations and national/global-level politics.