Ukraine: a country that welcomes refugees and one whose people need protection themselves
Ukraine: a country that welcomes refugees and one whose people need protection themselves
As the Refugee Convention marks its 75th year, Ukraine’s experience reflects both sides of displacement — hosting refugees from around the world while millions of Ukrainians seek safety from the full-scale war abroad.
When Abbas arrived in Ukraine 30 years ago, fleeing persecution in Iran, he had only a toothbrush, a razor and a few photos in his bag. Now, he is a citizen of the country that granted him protection and became his second home. After sleepless nights during massive aerial attacks in Kyiv, Abbas wakes up in the morning with purpose - to help people, affected by the full-scale war and displacement, through his work with Rokada, a local partner organization of UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency.
“I love this country very much. This is my family, and I do not want to leave, even if the situation is very difficult. I am staying and trying to do everything I can to help people, because as a refugee from Iran I know what displacement is, and how to live without basic services, such as water or electricity," Abbas said.
How Ukraine became a place of refuge
Abbas arrived in Ukraine at a time when the country itself was only beginning to build an asylum system for people forced to flee, rooted in the principles of the 1951 Refugee Convention, which marks its 75th anniversary on 28 July this year.
Over the next three decades, Ukraine would become home to refugees from over 60 countries, including Afghanistan, Syria, Somalia, Iran, and the former USSR. Since establishing its presence in Ukraine in 1994, UNHCR has worked alongside the government, civil society organizations and refugee communities to help develop procedures for determining refugee status and providing legal protection.
Ukraine acceded to the 1951 Refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol in 2002. Under national legislation, people fleeing persecution and violence can apply for either refugee status or complementary protection status in Ukraine. As of 2026, Ukrainian authorities reported that nearly 2,400 people were protected by one of the statuses granted by Ukraine.
Protection beyond legal status
For refugees and asylum-seekers in Ukraine, protection is not only about legal status. UNHCR and its NGO partners support them with legal counseling as well as access to medical care, psychosocial aid, and cash assistance to the most vulnerable families. In addition, to support their integration into local communities in Ukraine, people receive assistance with enrolling children in schools and kindergartens, attending language courses, renewing documents, and accessing other necessary services.
UNHCR also works closely with authorities in improving the national asylum system, including legislation, supporting the alignment with EU asylum framework as part of Ukraine’s EU accession process, and advocates for inclusion of asylum-seekers and refugees in the state recovery plans.
“In today’s Ukraine, the meaning of asylum and protection has never been abstract, but it has become even more immediate and deeply felt,” said Bernadette Castel-Hollingsworth, UNHCR Representative in Ukraine. “The experience of displacement, once associated by many with conflicts far away, has become deeply personal for millions of people affected by the full-scale war. That is why the principles of the Refugee Convention resonate so strongly here.
Even during the war, some refugees chose to remain in Ukraine, continuing to work, volunteer and support their communities. Their stories remind us how refugees contribute to the societies that welcome them. Our thoughts are also with the millions of Ukrainians who have been forced to seek safety as refugees abroad. We hope they will be able to return home as soon as the situation allows.”
Before the full-scale war and following the invasion
Over the years, refugees and asylum-seekers in Ukraine have included students, entrepreneurs, doctors, artists and families rebuilding their lives far from home. Many learned Ukrainian, opened businesses, pursued higher education and raised children in the communities where they settled.
The full-scale Russian invasion in 2022 forced many of them into displacement once again. Those who stayed, face the same blackouts, aerial attacks and uncertainty as their Ukrainian neighbours.
