Bargaining for working conditions and social rights of migrant workers in Central East European countries (BARMIG), National report: Ukraine

In the light of BARMIG’s focus on migrants’ integration in the labour markets of the receiving states, the purpose of this background study is to provide an up-to-date snapshot of the situation with labour migration from Ukraine to the new EU member states from the perspective of the sending country. In order to develop this perspective, we focused on review the secondary sources and on expert interviews. The latter discuss possible links between worker’s migration choices in connection to their experiences on the domestic labour market of Ukraine, as well as available paths to employment abroad, information about employment, migration and social protection. Thus, our report discusses: how employment or paid work experience on the Ukrainian labour market affects decision to search for jobs abroad and interpretation of experience of working abroad recruitment processes and employment chains that facilitate migration, and the role of various intermediaries (focus on recruiters and migration brokers in Ukraine) main problems facing labour migrants during their labour mobility, as discussed by recruiters and NGOs working with migrants discussion of good practices of support for Ukrainian workers and bettering protection of labour rights transnationally (focus on the perspective of social actors in Ukraine).