Latvian support for accepting Ukrainian refugees declines, survey shows

An opinion poll conducted by Rait Custom Research Baltic on behalf of the State Chancellery of Latvia reveals that less than half (48%) of Latvian residents aged 18 to 75 support accepting Ukrainians who were forced to leave their homeland because of the war.

In March 2024, 60.1% of Latvian residents supported accepting Ukrainian military refugees in Latvia, while in November 2023, this figure was 52%.

Support for Ukraine's accession to NATO remained stable, with 45% of respondents in favor in June and 46% in March. Similarly, 45% supported Ukraine's accession to the European Union in June, compared to 46% in March.

The survey included 1,005 permanent residents of Latvia aged 18 to 75.

Ukrainian refugees in the EU

The European Union activated mechanism of temporary protection for Ukrainians on March 4, 2022, after the start of Russian invasion of Ukraine, and automatically extended it for one year. Last year, EU countries decided to extend this regime until March 2025.

Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration Olha Stefanishyna on May 9 said that the European Commission agreed to extend the temporary protection status for Ukrainians in the EU.

According to the Center for Economic Strategy, at the end of January, 4.9 million Ukrainians were abroad because of the war. Most of them were in Germany and Poland. According to the study, up to 2.3 million people may stay abroad even after the war in Ukraine will be over.

According to a survey conducted in April by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology, 50% of Ukrainian refugees living in Germany, Poland and Czechia said they would not return to Ukraine.