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International Journal of
Population Studies Social inclusion for refugees

in turn, fosters the creation of an inclusive society and ongoing conflict has forced millions of people to flee their
positively contributes to the socioeconomic development homes, resulting in large-scale displacement both within
of host countries. Ukraine and across its borders. By early 2024, over 7,000,000
The successful integration of refugees requires a Ukrainian refugees had been registered across Europe
comprehensive approach, encompassing access to (Global Report on Internal Displacement, 2024). This crisis
education, healthcare, the labor market, and social has displaced nearly one-third of Ukraine’s population, with
services. Inclusive societies are characterized not only by most refugees seeking asylum in neighboring European
countries (Data Friendly Space, 2024) (Figure 1).
the availability of these resources but also by the dynamic
interaction between social cohesion and stability. Social Figure 1 illustrates the distribution of Ukrainian
cohesion helps reduce tension and conflict, while the refugees across European countries as of January 2024.
absence of conflict further promotes cohesion, creating Poland, Germany, and the Czech Republic have hosted
a reinforcing cycle of stability (Bajaj and Stanford, 2022; the largest number of refugees. Table 1 presents detailed
Lee et al., 2023). Furthermore, research demonstrates that statistics on the number of refugees in these countries, as
migrants can significantly contribute to the economies well as in other European countries.
of host countries, particularly in small and medium- Most Ukrainian refugees have sought safety in
sized enterprises, provided they have access to financial neighboring countries such as Poland, Romania, Hungary,
resources and legal support (Kolodiziev et al., 2024). Social and Slovakia. These countries have provided immediate
support measures – such as combating discrimination assistance and opened their borders to all refugees, enabling
and promoting access to services – are essential to prevent millions to find temporary shelter. Poland has received
marginalization and ensure successful integration (Trung, the highest number of refugees, hosting approximately
2023; Zanin and De Freitas, 2023). Therefore, this study 1.64 million people (OECD, 2022). Romania has also
hypothesizes that effective social support and integration played a significant role, with nearly one million individuals
measures form the foundation for an inclusive society, crossing its borders, though many continued their journey
which, in turn, positively impacts the socioeconomic to other European countries. This war-induced crisis has
development of host countries. Integration, as used in this led to a sharp increase in the refugee population across
study, refers to the process through which refugees achieve Europe, posing significant challenges to host countries.
economic, social, and cultural participation within the
host country. This encompasses access to employment, As shown in Table 2, the majority of refugees are women
education, language acquisition, participation in local and children (up to 90%), necessitating the development
social networks, and inclusion in societal structures, of specialized social support and integration programs. In
enabling mutual adaptation between refugees and host addition, there have been reports of forced relocation of
communities. Ukrainian citizens to Russia, further contributing to the
total number of displaced individuals.
This study aims to investigate the relationship between
In summary, the war in Ukraine has resulted in massive
social support systems and the integration of refugees population displacement, with over seven million people
within host countries, exploring the role of social support
systems in facilitating the integration of refugees into
host societies. Furthermore, the study evaluates how
different dimensions of social support contribute to the
development of an inclusive society. Finally, the research
proposes actionable recommendations to strengthen social
support systems and enhance both the integration process
and societal inclusion.
This research was conducted from 2023 to the first half
of 2024, utilizing data from reports on the integration of
Ukrainian refugees by the United Nations (UN) and other
public organizations, as well as government reports from
host countries during this period.

2.3. The Ukrainian migration crisis: An overview
The outbreak of war in Ukraine in February 2022 triggered Figure 1. The distribution of Ukrainian refugees across European
the largest migration crisis in Europe since World War II. The countries as of January 22, 2024. Retrieved from People in Need (2024).

Volume 11 Issue 6 (2025) 133 https://doi.org/10.36922/ijps.4502