Two years after the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, the end of the war is nowhere in sight. Ukrainian refugees in France are each adapting in their own way, with many preparing to stay for the long term.
Two years of Russia’s war in Ukraine have forced over 14 million people – nearly one third of Ukraine’s population – to flee their homes, according to the UN. Around 69,000 of those people have found refuge in France as of January 2024.
The figure is modest compared to European countries like Poland and Germany, which have welcomed five to 10 times that amount, but it reflects less a lack of generosity on the part of the French than the desire of Ukrainian refugees to seek shelter where there is already a large Ukrainian diaspora. The situation of Ukrainian refugees in France is “uncertain” and “evolving”, according to many of the exiles themselves.
“My situation and that of the other [Ukrainian] musicians is very unique because we are in France for work, and we never had to live off of subsidies,” said Anna Stavychenko, the head of a special mission of the Paris Philharmonic that coordinates temporary contracts with French orchestras for Ukrainian musicians displaced by the war. “Yet the situation is unstable: we do not know how long we will have our jobs, and we are not in a position to make any other plans besides day-to-day activities.”
Maryna Kumeda, author of "Journal d'une Ukrainienne" (“Journal of a Ukrainian”) and member of the Ukrainian human rights organisation Right to Protection, said the ongoing war was tearing families apart. “People who arrive in France with their children generally have a harder time returning to Ukraine because it means exposing the children to bombing and interrupting their schooling,” she said.
Women in exile remain separated for months or years at time from their husbands and partners, as men between the ages of 18 and 60 have been prohibited from leaving Ukraine since the declaration of martial law following Russia's invasion. The distance may be contributing to what some Ukrainian mental health professionals are calling a “divorce epidemic”, with the number of Ukrainian marriages ending last year twice or even three times as high as before the war.
“People want to go home but they ask themselves – is there work, is it safe?” said Kumeda. Some make a leap of faith and return, despite all the uncertainty. A hairstylist from Bucha exiled in France recently took a bus back to Kyiv, despite facing a lower salary and fewer clients.
In another case, a woman temporarily left her child in the care of his grandparents in France and went back to Ukraine. “She missed her husband and she hadn’t been home for two years,” said Kumeda.
'Caught between two countries'
Factors such as care obligations and the breakdown of family units may prevent the integration of Ukrainian refugee women, noted an OECD study from 2023. The availability of adequate child care is an important factor for parents with young children to integrate into the workforce. Another study found that three in ten refugees could not work because of childcare obligations, and it was more often a problem for Ukrainian women (33 percent) than men (9 percent).
Other challenges mentioned by Ukrainian refugees included learning the French language. Most Ukrainians do not speak French, but numerous cities across France have allowed Ukrainian refugees with "temporary protection" status to benefit from French language courses. When encountering administrative difficulties, some refugees said they depended on the support of local communities for help in resolving them.
Many refugees report feeling “caught between two countries”. They are grateful for the asylum they found in France but unable to detach themselves from their prior lives in Ukraine.
“This has been a difficult and painful period for Ukrainians,” said Mykyta Zigura, a Ukrainian artist and refugee currently living in Nice. “We support Ukraine with all our might by giving donations and organising activities while trying to adapt to life in France – for the future of our children, and for the privilege of experiencing life in a highly developed country like France,” he said.
Mykyta’s brother, Egor Zigura, said he was grateful to have access to the same services and rights as French citizens, such as insurance, granted through the temporary protection status given to Ukrainians since the war began. “Thanks to the support of French society, many of us have started to adapt and we have the possibility to develop, work and live a full life despite the war, and while continuing to support Ukraine.” He added that Ukrainian associations in France, like Nice's AFUCA, were helping support and integrate Ukrainians into local communities and acting as intermediaries between French and Ukrainian nationals.
Many Ukrainian refugees say they firmly believe support for their cause has not diminished over time. For Egor, everyone should oppose Russian aggression because “the soldiers in Ukraine are not only defending the borders of our country, they are stopping the enemy forces from advancing across Europe. It is more important than ever to unite and stop the enemy."
