Integration of refugees from Ukraine

Demographics

One third of the refugees from Ukraine are children.

Prior to the invasion of Ukraine, Ukrainians made up a relatively small immigrant group inNorway. At the beginning of 2022, about 6,500 people of Ukrainian origin were registered as residents in the country. In addition, there were just over 1,000 people born in Norway who had parents with Ukrainian backgrounds. Family immigration was the primary reason for immigration among Ukrainians who were in Norway at the start of 2022. Nearly six out of ten Ukrainian immigrants had come to Norway for family reasons (3,600 people), while two out of ten were registered as labour immigrants. The remainder (19 per cent) had come to study, and only a small group of around 120 people were registered as refugees (Dzamarija, Molstad
and Østby, 2022).

Figure 8.1. Immigrants and people born in Norway to immigrants with Ukrainian backgrounds. 2015–2024 (Statistics Norway, 2024bc) .

Since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine in 2022, there has been a record increase in the number of Ukrainians in Norway. This is illustrated in Figure 8.1. An average of 680 applications for collective protection per week were registered in 2023 (Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI), 2024). In the autumn of 2023, this number increased to over one thousand applications per week, but dropped again at the end of the year. This may have been due to changes in the regulations for displaced Ukrainians that were initiated in December 2023 (Ministry of Justice and Public Security and Ministry of Labour and Social Inclusion, 2023). At the beginning of 2024, more than 65,000 immigrants from Ukraine were registered in Norway and nearly 1,700 people born in Norway to Ukrainian parents (Statistics Norway, 2024ai). 32,400 Ukrainians were settled during 2023, and 31,000 were settled in 2022 (Kirkeberg, 2024). This group therefore makes up the second largest immigrant group in Norway as of January 2024, and the largest refugee group (Haug, 2024; Kirkeberg, 2024).  As of 2023, Ukraine was the largest immigrant group in 77 municipalities (Statistics Norway, 2024m).

Travel restrictions have been imposed on Ukrainian men since the start of the war, and this has resulted in a large predominance of women and children among the refugees from that country. One in three newly arrived refugees from Ukraine in 2022, equivalent to almost 10,000 people, were children. In 2022, 69 per cent of Ukrainian immigrants in Norway were women. In 2024, the proportion of women is 59 per cent (Statistics Norway, 2024bc).

Ukrainian refugees distinguish themselves from other refugee groups by having a higher proportion of elderly people. Five per cent of Ukrainian refugees are aged 66 or older. For other asylum seekers, this figure is around one to two per cent (Hernes et al., 2023).

As shown in Figure 8.2, Ukrainians residing in Norway are more widely dispersed around the country than other people with immigrant backgrounds.

Figure 8.2. Centrality. Immigrants and people born in Norway to immigrant parents, by region, statistical variable, year, immigration category and country of origin. 2024. Percentage (Statistics Norway, 2024v, 2024x).

For example, 15 per cent of this group lives in Oslo and Akershus, compared to 36 per cent of the entire immigrant population (Statistics Norway, 2024ai). Refugees generally live less centrally than others in the population. A very large proportion of Ukrainians in Norway are refugees, and this could explain some of the difference in centrality between Ukrainians and immigrants as a whole. Most Ukrainians reside in Western Norway (11 per cent) and Rogaland (10 per cent) (Statistics Norway, 2024ai).

As shown in Figure 8.3, on average Ukrainian refugees have a higher level of education than other refugee groups. There is also little variation in education level within this group when comparing, for example, women and men or different age groups (Hernes et al., 2022). The level of education varies depending on when a person arrived in Norway. Those who came to Norway immediately after the outbreak of the war had more education than those who have arrived later. 69 per cent of those who arrived in early 2022 had higher education, compared to 44 per cent of those who came towards the last six months of 2023 (Hernes et al., 2023).

Figure 8.3. Highest completed level of education among immigrants from Ukraine. 2023. Percentage (Statistics Norway, 2024ah).

Education and qualifications

Two out of three consider the Introduction Programme to be too short

Of Ukrainians with children, 31 per cent have children in kindergarten, 70 per cent have children who attend primary and lower secondary school, and 15 per cent have children who attend upper secondary school. Ukrainian refugees are very satisfied with the kindergarten and school services in Norway. However, 37 per cent of those with children under the age of 18 responded that their children engage in Ukrainian distance learning instead of, or in addition to, Norwegian schooling. 18 per cent responded that they were previously engaged in distance learning but have ended this. Parents explain that they want their children to follow Ukrainian teaching due to uncertainty about the future, temporary protection and barriers to higher education in the event of their return to Ukraine (Hernes et al., 2023).

The large increase in the number of people with temporary collective protection in Norway from and including spring 2022 resulted in several temporary adaptations to integrationrelated rules, including the Norwegian Integration Act. These adaptations entail more flexibility and opportunities for shorter and somewhat different services in connection with the Introduction Programme and Norwegian language training for Ukrainian refugees. Participation in the Introduction Programme is voluntary for people with collective protection. At a minimum, the programme must consist of work and education related content and an offer of language training, and the group is entitled to free Norwegian
language training for up to one year. For those with children under the age of 18, courses in parental guidance are also included in the Introduction Programme (IMDi, 2022).

Surveys of refugees’ own experiences with the Introduction Programme reveal a high level of satisfaction with the programme and Norwegian language training both among participants from Ukraine and among participants with backgrounds from other countries (IMDi, 2023). Eight out of ten people in both groups consider the Introduction Programme to be beneficial and relevant to their further professional careers. About nine out of ten responded that they enjoy participating in Norwegian language training, and that they have a good relationship with their teachers and programme advisors. 

However, a high proportion of Ukrainian refugees (68 per cent) responded that there is too little time for learning, and that the duration of their Introduction Programme is too short (IMDi, 2023). The majority consider their Norwegian language skills to be poor. Among refugees who came to Norway in 2023, 54 per cent responded that they cannot speak any Norwegian, and 43 per cent responded that they have poor Norwegian language skills (Hernes et al., 2023).

Work

One in five Ukrainian refugees are working

Surveys of Ukrainian refugees show that this group expresses a strong desire to participate in work. In 2023, 84 per cent of the refugees from Ukraine responded that they wanted to work if their stay in Norway becomes long-term. In addition, six per cent viewed themselves as pensioners and four per cent wanted to study (Hernes et al., 2023). 

As shown in Figure 8.4, employment rates among Ukrainian refugees have increased gradually over the past two years. At the end of May 2024, 22.7 per cent of Ukrainian refugees aged 20-66 were employed (The figures do not include people who are self-employed).

Figure 8.4. Ukrainians between the ages of 20 and 66 who immigrated after the invasion in February 2022, by residence status, number employed and percentage employed. April 2022 – May 2024. Percentage (Statistics Norway, 2024q).

As is the case with other refugees, research shows that the employment rate increases with period of residence. For Ukrainian refugees with a period of residence of nearly two years, almost one in three is employed (Simson, Sørbø and Myklathun, 2024).

The low average employment rate among Ukrainian refugees can be partly explained by the fact that a large majority in this group are still participating in the Introduction Programme (Berge and Skjæveland, 2024; Olsen 2024; Statistics Norway, 2024n).

In 2023, just over 23,000 participants from Ukraine were registered in the Introduction Programme. Of these, 66 per cent were women (Statistics Norway, 2024o). While there were only about 150 people who completed the Introduction Programme in 2022, this figure rose to around 9,100 people in 2023. 45 per cent of Ukrainians transitioned directly to work after completing the Introduction Programme compared to 23 per cent of other participants. Only three per cent of Ukrainians transitioned to education, compared to 28 per cent among other participants (IMDi, 2024b).

Figure 8.5. Proportion of participants who transition directly to work and education after completing the Introduction Programme. Displaced people from Ukraine and other refugee groups. 2023. Percentage (IMDi, 2024b).

About 70 per cent of Ukrainian refugees have participated in the Introduction Programme. Among those who have been in Norway for two years, approximately 40 per cent are registered as looking for work or having reduced capacity for work, and a large proportion of this group participates in labour market initiatives. Over 4,000 Ukrainian refugees were participating in labour market initiatives at the end of February, and the majority were engaged in work experience, receiving wage subsidies or involved in training initiatives (Simson et al. 2024). There are relatively significant regional differences in terms of employment (Kvalø, 2024; Simson et al., 2024). In Oslo, 39 per cent of Ukrainian refugees were employed after having completed the Introduction Programme, while this applied to about 60 per cent of Ukrainian refugees residing in Troms, Nordland and Finnmark. The Northern Norwegian counties have a shortage of labour, a factor which may explain the significant differences in employment rates between counties (Kvalø, 2024). Demographic characteristics such as age, gender, and provider responsibilities may explain some of the differences, while other explanations may, for example, be differences in how the Introduction Programme is conducted (Simson et al., 2024). 

There are also gender differences in employment rates. Of those who have completed the Introductory Programme, the employment rate for men is 52 per cent and 46 per cent for women. Male refugees from Ukraine more often work full-time than women. Seven out of tenUkrainian men who are employed after the Introduction Programme work full-time, while this applies to four out of ten women (Kvalø, 2024).

As mentioned, Ukrainian refugees have, on average, a higher level of education than other refugees. However, many of them have jobs that require few formal qualifications. For example, one in four Ukrainians who are employed work in sales and service occupations (Simson et al., 2024).

Inadequate Norwegian and English language skills are important reasons for why Ukrainian refugees are not working and cannot use the qualifications that they bring with them at the workplace. Other barriers may include not having a network, few vacancies in the local labour market, health and family situation (Hernes et al., 2023).

Financial situation and living conditions

Half of the Ukrainian refugees report poor health

Half of the Ukrainian refugees consider their financial situation to be satisfactory. One in ten struggle to make ends meet, but only one per cent state that they live in poverty. The group who most report financial difficulties are those who recently arrived in Norway, and who are waiting to be registered and settled (Hernes et al., 2023).

Figure 8.6. Assessment of the household’s current situation. Refugees from Ukraine. 2023. Percentage (Hernes et al., 2023).

The high numbers of newly arrived refugees have resulted in strong growth in social welfare spending, and the number of Ukrainian social welfare recipients has increased every month since March 2022. In 2023, an average of almost 11,000 Ukrainians received social welfare in any given month, an increase of about 7,000 from 2022. In December 2023, over 15,000 Ukrainians received social welfare, accounting for 21 per cent of all recipients that month. Relatively few refugees receive social welfare during the first month they are settled, and five months after being settled, at most, up to half of the Ukrainian refugees receive social assistance. Among those who have been here the longest, the proportion of social welfare recipients decreases from about six months after settlement, and increases again after 17 months. This may be due to people having completed the Introduction Programme, but not having started work (Lima, 2024).

The Ukrainian refugees report having poorer health than the rest of the population. About half of this group rated their health as good or very good in 2022, compared to three out of four in the population at large. Elderly refugees aged 50 and over are more likely to experience health challenges than those under the age of 50. Only one in four over the age of 50 considered that they were in good health (Labberton et al., 2023). Nine per cent of Ukrainian refugees state that physical/mental health is a major barrier to finding work in Norway, and 41 per cent believe that health challenges are a barrier to some extent (Hernes et al., 2023).

Experiencing psychological problems such as anxiety, restlessness, worry, nervousness and despair about the future is three times as common among refugees from Ukraine as among the population as a whole. They also report more long-term physical or mental health challenges than what is the case for the Norwegian population. 58 per cent of the Ukrainian refugees reported that they had long-term illnesses, while the corresponding share was 44 per cent in the population at large (Labberton et al., 2023).

Figure 8.7. Self-perceived health among Ukrainian refugees and the population as a whole. 2022 (Labberton et al., 2023).

When concerning information about health services, nine out of ten report that they have received information about health services in Norway, and that they know how to contact a doctor or healthcare specialist. Furthermore, seven out of ten report they have received the health services they require. The proportion that has not received adequate access to health services, or that has insufficient information about these service is highest among newly arrived Ukrainian refugees. People who arrived during the spring of 2022 or immediately after the outbreak of the war, are most likely to experience good access to information and health services (Labberton et al., 2023). This may indicate that the proportion that receives information about and access to health services increases in line with their period of residence in Norway. Another possible reason is that the health status of the refugees who left the country during the early stages of the war may differ from the health status of those who have been exposed to the consequences of ongoing war over an extended period of time.

Political and social Integration

More want to stay

In the spring of 2022, there was uncertainty about the number of refugees who would be coming from Ukraine, and what rights they would receive. Several political changes were quickly implemented, and this has simplified and streamlined the processes associated with receiving, settling and integrating Ukrainian refugees.

These changes have also posed challenges in providing refugees and service providers with continually updated information. Different practices related to settlement and integration in the municipalities have also led to confusion among refugees. In a 2022 survey of Ukrainian refugees, 70 per cent stated they had not received enough information from government actors (Hernes et al., 2022). Among other things, the principal challenges were unclear and insufficient information, as well as difficulties navigating between different websites to find relevant information. Language was highlighted as being a barrier. The study also noted that the information provided has improved over time, particularly when concerning more information in Ukrainian and Russian on government websites (Hernes et al., 2022). More information is still required, including opportunities for higher education, what happens after the Introduction Programme, and how to start one’s own business in Norway (Hernes et al., 2023).

Despite some uncertainty and insufficient information during the first months of mass arrivals, this did not overshadow the Ukrainian refugees' enormous gratitude and trust in both the Norwegian reception apparatus and society in general. The refugees reported having positive experiences when in contact with government actors in Norway, and this applied to both national and local actors (such as the police, NAV, UDI, IMDi and the municipalities). A 2023 survey shows that this group is the most satisfied with the police, immigration authorities, kindergartens, teachers in the Introduction Programme, Norwegian language training and schools (Hernes et al., 2023).

Ukrainian refugees have had very good experiences with the manner in which they have been received by the Norwegian population. Many said they felt welcome in Norway and in the local communities where they were settled. The refugees are also very satisfied with the help they have received from voluntary organisations.

However, the everyday lives of this group are characterized by worry and uncertainty related to whether they will be permitted to stay in Norway when the temporary permit for collective protection expires. Research shows that the uncertainty associated with temporary status influences the individual choices and strategies of refugees for their own integration (Hernes et al., 2023). This uncertainty is also challenging for various actors in the integration field as it makes it difficult to plan for the future, for example, when scaling up services and housing at a local level.

Despite having a relatively short period of residence in Norway and uncertainty related to temporary protection needs, Ukrainian refugees express a strong sense of belonging to Norway and a desire to remain in the country (Hernes et al., 2022, 2023; Kjeøy and Tyldum, 2022). In 2022, almost one in three responded that they want to return to Ukraine. In 2023, just over one in ten gave the same response. On a scale of 1 to 5, Ukrainians score the reception they received in Norway at well above 4. Nearly half report that their children have Norwegian friends, and 50 per cent report that their children participate in leisure activities. Of the adults, 11 per cent report that they have close Norwegian friends, and more than 50 per cent state that they have Norwegian acquaintances (Hernes et al., 2022, 2023).

Figure 8.8. Overall assessment of the experience of being welcomed in Norway. 2022–2023. Percentage (Hernes et al., 2022, 2023)