The Ukrainian government has allowed men between the ages of 18 and 22 to travel abroad - despite martial law. The authorities hope that young people who have lived abroad will return to Ukraine. But not everyone thinks so.
Since the end of August, new rules have been in effect in Ukraine for men to travel abroad. Now those between the ages of 18 and 22 can leave the country without any problems. The relevant decision was made by the cabinet, and Prime Minister Yulia Sviridenko stated: “We want Ukrainians to preserve their connection with Ukraine as much as possible”.
Thus, the government implemented the initiative of President Volodymyr Zelensky, who in early August promised to open the borders to young men between the ages of 18 and 22. After the Russian invasion, in connection with martial law and general mobilization, men between the ages of 18 and 60 were prohibited from leaving Ukraine. At the beginning, men between the ages of 27 and 60 were subject to mobilization, and from April 2024 - from 25 to 60.
“The goal of this step is, first of all, to provide young Ukrainians with broader opportunities for training, internships and legal employment abroad, so that they can then use the experience gained for the development of Ukraine,” wrote Ukrainian Interior Minister Igor Klimenko on Telegram. “We are doing our utmost to ensure that Ukrainian youth have access to quality education and international experience, while remaining a healthy part of our country."
Only those under 23 will be allowed abroad
The decree was published on the government's website, and the press secretary of the State Border Service of Ukraine, Colonel Andrey Demchenko, told DV the following: “In accordance with the updated rules, in the event of the introduction of martial law on the territory of Ukraine, restrictions on crossing the state border do not apply to male citizens of Ukraine aged 18 to 22 inclusive”. He explained that the word “inclusive” implies that men up to the age of 23 can cross the border without problems.
According to Demchenko, the norms will not apply to persons holding certain positions in state bodies and local government bodies. “Travel abroad for this category of persons will, as before, only be possible on official business trips."
Demchenko emphasized that in order to cross the border, men between 18 and 22 must have both a passport and a military registration document in paper or electronic form.
Is Ukraine losing its youth?
Due to the ban on travel abroad for men between 18 and 60, many Ukrainian parents have begun sending their children abroad even before they reach the age of majority, so that they can enter universities there, as well as to minimize the risk of a possible reduction in the mobilization age. This has become a serious problem - this is how the country began to lose its youth, observers point out.
“We do not mobilize people up to the age of 25, and it would be wrong not to give them the opportunity to leave or return home if they study abroad, because we are actually losing the young generation that could return to Ukraine. And so the young are afraid to return, because then they will not be able to leave”, points out in a comment for DW, the deputy from the “Servant of the People” party; Fyodor Venislavsky.
What will be the consequences for Ukraine
Demographer Alexander Gladun does not accept these arguments - he believes that allowing Ukrainian youth to go abroad will not contribute to the return of youth to their homeland. But on the other hand, most young people who have been in Ukraine so far will leave the country forever, he predicts.
“This decree will lead to the fact that people will leave, and no one will return. The argument that in this regard someone will want to return is fabricated. On the one hand, the authorities say that there are not enough people at the front and in the rear, that we need foreigners for jobs, and we are helping the men leave.” Gladun is convinced that this step will lead to a deepening of Ukraine's demographic problems.
As is clear from sociological surveys, every fifth young person in Ukraine would like to leave and live abroad. The highest percentage is among young people between 18 and 29 years old.
“If in general about 10 percent of Ukrainians say that they would like to go abroad and live there permanently, among young people this percentage is about 20. This is a lot,” says sociologist Alexei Antipovich.
At the same time, according to the expert, this is not a big problem. “It is understandable that the largest number of those wishing to go abroad is among young men due to the future mobilization in 25 years. But let's be honest, in the fourth year of the war against Ukraine, all parents who wanted to take their children out or send them to study abroad have already done so. Accordingly, a critical impact on the demographic or any other situation in the country cannot be expected,” Antipovich points out.