This is why refugees are returning from Budapest to Ukraine in large numbers
People working for charity and non-governmental organisations have been reporting that Ukrainian refugees are travelling back to their homeland in large numbers.
Hvg reported that, according to the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine, only last Sunday, approximately 22,000 Ukrainians arrived back in their homeland, as opposed to the 33,000 thousand people who have fled Ukraine.
Since the military conflict between Russia and Ukraine started back in February, approximately four million people have left their homeland.
The news outlet writes that the Polish Border Guard reported a total of 421,000 entries toward Ukraine since the start of the military aggression by Russia.
NBC News reported that “aid workers say the problems facing Ukrainians are particularly acute in Hungary where the language is difficult to learn, inflation is skyrocketing, and job opportunities are scarce”.
“Aid workers and volunteers say that they began to see hundreds of refugees, mostly women and children, trying to re-enter Ukraine toward the end of March. Ukrainian-speaking volunteers at Budapest Nyugati Railway Station say that more and more people are arriving at the station each day looking for help to buy a ticket back to Ukraine, aware that they may not have anything to return to.”
It also becomes evident from the report of NBC that many Ukrainians are considering going home for various reasons. Many refugees have said that they still have family members in Ukraine, and many elderly people were left behind in the havoc of fleeing or due to their age or disability.
Since Ukrainian men between the ages of 18 and 60 could not leave the country and were enrolled to defend it against the Russian attacks, refugees consist mostly of women and children.
Many women said that they miss their partners or that, alone, they cannot manage with children, but there are also people who, seeing reports of Ukrainian military successes over in their homeland, think that the conflict will soon end.
NBC also asked the opinion of several experts on forced migration who also underlined that seeing military successes over the internet can lead to a false sense of safety in their homes. Others cannot comprehend living elsewhere, and many had to leave their belongings and relatives behind.
One of the most touching moments was when the news portal interviewed a 32-year-old woman who had waited for the train to travel back to Odesa while telling the reporter that she had seen footage of her hometown over on social media and that it was safe to go back.
Unfortunately, soon after the train began its journey, Russia announced a missile strike against an oil facility in Odesa.
Source: nbcnews.com, hvg.hu