Bridging the divide: Addressing social tensions between internally displaced persons and host communities during wartime in Ukraine

Type of the article: Research Article AbstractForced migration of Ukraine’s population, caused by the war initiated by the russian federation, is a subject of national governance in demographic processes. In a country at war – rapidly losing human potential due to casualties among military and civil populations, as well as forced relocations – the social relations between internally displaced persons (IDPs) and host communities are of critical importance. The aim of this paper is to assess the perceptions of IDPs in host communities and to identify factors contributing to potential social tension. The research is based on a nationally representative sociological survey conducted in June–July 2024 in Ukraine, involving 514 IDPs and 850 residents of host communities. The findings reveal that social tension is generally low, with most ratings no higher than 3 out of 5. Notably, one-third of host community residents and two-thirds of IDPs did not observe any tension in social interactions at all. IDPs tended to be more optimistic in their evaluations compared to host community members: their perception was significantly lower, with only 7.3% reporting high levels of strain (4-5 out of 5). In contrast, the host population’s evaluations were more critical, particularly among young people and residents of regional centers, who expressed the most negative views. Key factors contributing to tension included negative changes in the housing market (44.8% of host community respondents), increased pressure on healthcare institutions (29.3%), and greater demand for administrative services (26.2%). The results highlighted the need for regular monitoring, which should complement traditional social management practices. AcknowledgmentResearch is supported by the National Research Foundation of Ukraine under the project No.2021.01/0343 “Ensuring social protection of ATO / JFO participants and social integration of IDP under the condition of increasing threats to social security”.