The Сivil network OPORA presented recommendations on the reintegration of Ukrainian refugees into the social and political life of Ukraine, in particular, for the first post-war elections, based on the study "Media Consumption and Public Activity of Ukrainian People in Poland". OPORA's representatives reported that it was the first survey among Ukrainians who found themselves abroad in search of refuge from russian aggression in Ukraine. In the future, the network plans to conduct a series of similar surveys in other countries.

The discussion was attended by representatives of the Central Election Commission of Ukraine, the National Police, the National Council on Television and Radio Broadcasting, the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES), and NGOs.

“Despite the fact that Ukrainians have been staying in Poland for almost a year now, our citizens maintain a close emotional connection with Ukraine and do not leave the Ukrainian information field,” commented OPORA's data analyst, Robert Lorian. For the vast majority of Ukrainians, maintaining ties with Ukraine is extremely important. When assessing the importance of maintaining relations with the Homeland, on a 10-point scale, 89% of respondents rated it at 9 or 10.

According to the survey, almost half of Ukrainians polled by OPORA in Poland either do not want at all (28%) or to a very small extent would like to take an active part in the activities of any group engaged in political activities in Ukraine. This desire was shown on a more or less scale by 22%. The assessment of one's own ability to actively participate in the activities of any group engaged in political activities in Ukraine is even lower.

Despite such pessimistic attitudes about their participation in the political life of Ukraine, 81.6% of respondents said that they intended to vote in national elections during their stay in Poland. “Voting is usually a socially approved behavior, and people are reluctant to show their unwillingness to get involved. However, in this case, mandatory participation in the elections seems to be a matter of principle for the immigrants because it is an important event for the state,” says Robert Lorian. “Compared to the turnout in the past nationwide elections of People's Deputies of Ukraine in 2019, respondents now have a higher desire to participate in the elections."

More than half of the potential participants (56%) of the elections are ready to spend as much time as necessary to participate. 11% claimed they were ready to spend from 1.5 to 2+ hours, from 1 to 1.5 hours — also 11%, from 30 minutes to 1 hour – 6.5%, and less than half an hour — 9% of respondents. If the elections are organized in the conventional (not electronic) form, the respondents still show their intention to participate in the voting. Most are willing to spend even a few days and travel hundreds of kilometers to participate in the elections. Supporters of in-person voting hope that enough polling stations will be opened in Poland, to avoid large crowds. During the in-depth interviews, the participants repeatedly expressed fear about possible queues in front of the consulates, as evidenced by previous experience. At the same time, some immigrants frankly say that they will not be able to afford significant expenses to participate in the elections, due to lack of money, time or health issues.

Regarding the convenience of various forms of participation in the elections, the opinions of potential participants in the elections split — 27% would like to vote in person by visiting a polling station of a foreign district in Poland, and 28% prefer digital voting with authentication of identity.  The most common answer was the recognition of both forms as equally convenient – it is a position of 42% of relocated persons planning to vote. The platform for online voting mentioned was the “Diia” mobile application because many immigrants have it and use it for documents in Poland. At the same time, some express concerns about the integrity of online elections due to possible fraud, interference in voting or hacker attacks.

OPORA’s survey shows that social networks are the main source of news for 68% of respondents. This is more than ⅔ among all involved sources of information, significantly ahead of other types of sources in terms of the number of accesses to content and the time of news consumption. Among the advantages of social networks, respondents mentioned the speed of obtaining information, convenience, a large selection of channels, and information content. The information that is presented in social networks mostly meets these criteria, which is actually related to the dominance in the information field of the shared access platforms. The most popular social network is Telegram — 64% of respondents used it to read news. 44% of respondents consider it to be the main source of information. Its key advantage is efficiency. Therefore, Ukrainian refugees in Poland are deeply immersed in monitoring events in Ukraine and do it every day or almost every day. It is expected that Ukrainian groups in social networks will become the main platforms for campaigning during the elections.

At the same time, disinformation remains one of the important challenges faced by the state, civil society, and the population of countries. The impact cannot be overestimated: it is reflected in public opinion, elections, the security of the state and people, health and life, career, a.o. 66% of all respondents said that there was a lot of misinformation and fakes about Ukraine on the Internet, 7% indicated the presence of fakes in the media space of Poland. However, the absolute majority of respondents believe that they are able to distinguish quality information from fake information (64%), 21% indicated the opposite, and only 14% were undecided.

“The government and civil society should work together to develop effective mechanisms to counter disinformation,” said OPORA's analyst Robert Lorian. — Especially during election processes, when there is a maximum polarization of society. Although the new Media Law has significantly advanced the state's capability to respond to the challenges posed by the latest information technologies, the issue of countering and, at the same time, preserving freedom of speech requires an integrated approach.” For the sake of information security, it is necessary to simultaneously focus on several areas: education and raising awareness of citizens; establishing cooperation with tech companies; encouraging the diversification of mass media; introduction of regulation for online advertising; ensuring media transparency; to conduct constant monitoring and research.

“We need to start preparing today to overcome serious problems that will await us in the future, and develop solutions that will lay the basis for organizing post-war elections,” OPORA's analyst concluded. — Some of the key challenges behind the post-war elections are: updating the database of the State Register of Voters; electoral infrastructure; information security; ensuring regional representation; election information support; proper organization of the election process; control over compliance with electoral legislation; regulation and control of online campaigning. Most of these challenges require legislative changes, which is the focus of current efforts and discussions to search for the best solutions.”

The respondent Ukrainians in Poland show a certain polarity of opinions regarding interaction with the state. On the one hand, some respondents said that Ukraine is doing enough in terms of interaction, also noted that they do not expect enhanced steps from the State, since Ukraine itself needs help and must support the remaining citizens. On the other hand, a certain number of people show dissatisfaction in interaction with the State. This applies to certain bureaucratic aspects, such as paperwork, interaction with administrative bodies, etc. Some respondents mentiond that the state should do everything possible to ensure the conditions for the return of Ukrainian refugees after the war.

In summary, on the basis of all requests voiced by forcibly relocated Ukrainian people, several basic requests to the state can be highlighted:

  • Consular services: simplify the receipt of consular services for refugees abroad, such as re-issuance and issuance of documents,  advice on legal and medical assistance.
  • Dissemination of information: regularly communicating with refugees abroad and informing them of any developments related to their stay abroad and opportunities for return and reintegration.
  • Reducing digital inequality.
  • Access to information: providing refugees abroad with access to accurate and up-to-date information on reintegration programmes and services, in particular on how to apply, eligibility criteria and the application process.
  • Communication channels: providing refugees abroad with several channels of feedback from the host states, such as a telephone hotline, email, feedback form, etc.
  • Cooperation with organizations working with refugees, such as the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and non-governmental organizations.
  • Psychological support: counseling and therapy to help the refugee overcome the stress of the consequences of russian aggression, and reintegrate and transition to a new environment.