According to him, more than 5.7 million citizens have left the country since 2022 alone.
“We are facing staggering numbers: according to the UN refugee agency, more than 5.7 million Ukrainians have gone abroad since 2022, and if we count from 2014, that’s already 8.5 million. This is a global challenge requiring coordinated action,” said D. Lubinets.
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The ombudsman emphasized that the return of citizens to Ukraine must be based not only on appeals but also on real security guarantees and international support programs.
“We all sincerely want our people to return, but appeals alone are not enough. Two conditions are needed: reliable international security guarantees and a special international initiative to provide housing,” he stated.
D. Lubinets also emphasized the need to extend the temporary protection status for Ukrainians abroad until the end of active hostilities.
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At the end of 2025, D. Lubinets stated that about 11 million citizens of the country had left Ukraine. He also noted that the official statistics of the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs are lower – about 8.5 million people.
However, according to the ombudsman, some Ukrainians do not register at consulates, so official institutions do not include them in their records.
Former Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has previously stated that only a “critical minority” of Ukrainian citizens currently living abroad will return to Ukraine.
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