EMPLOYMENT OF LABOR MIGRANTS FROM ABROAD IN UKRAINE: POLITICAL AND LEGAL ASPECTS
The demographic crisis in Ukraine, marked by a sharp population decline accelerated by irreversible war-related losses, as well as mass emigration of Ukrainian citizens, may result in a labor shortage – particularly of highly skilled workers – which will hinder the country’s recovery and development...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
National Institute for Strategic Studies
2024-01-01
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| Series: | Стратегічна панорама |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://niss-panorama.com/index.php/journal/article/view/167 |
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| Summary: | The demographic crisis in Ukraine, marked by a sharp population decline accelerated by irreversible war-related losses, as well as mass emigration of Ukrainian citizens, may result in a labor shortage – particularly of highly skilled workers – which will hinder the country’s recovery and development. One way to overcome the labor shortage is to attract labor migrants from abroad. This will occur amid intense global competition for human resources, where Ukraine’s position as a destination country remains weak. The number of foreigners arriving in the country for employment has never been significant, and it has naturally decreased further during the war. Therefore, it is necessary to enhance the country’s attractiveness to foreign workers, inter alia, by simplifying and introducing the most clear and transparent procedure and criteria for immigration. Currently, the procedures for admitting foreign workers to Ukraine are unnecessarily complicated and lengthy, which obstructs the timely fulfillment of the economy’s needs. First, the employer must obtain a permit to employ a foreign national. Based on this permit, the employee applies for a visa to enter the country. Upon arrival, the foreign national must obtain a temporary residence permit and register a place of residence in Ukraine. Although the legislation guarantees the rights of foreigners and protects them against discrimination, migrant workers cannot change employers. Furthermore, they risk losing their residence permit if the employer fails to timely fulfill the obligations to submit the contract concluded with the migrant to the regulatory authorities or does not pay the unified social contribution. It is also important to note that the opportunities for labor migrants to change their temporary status to a permanent one are extremely limited. Although foreign graduates from Ukrainian higher education and professional institutions could be a valuable additional source of quality labor, Ukrainian legislation, unlike that of many other European countries, does not permit them to stay in the country for a designated period to seek employment after completing their studies. The article analyzes these and other aspects of regulating labor immigration to Ukraine and formulates proposals for improving legislation and administrative practices to enhance Ukraine’s appeal to workers from abroad as well as aligning the employment of foreign nationals with the EU norms and procedures. |
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| ISSN: | 2616-9460 2616-891X |