Petition to Cabinet to abandon policy of mass recruitment of foreigners into labor market garners 25,000 votes

A petition on the Ukrainian Cabinet of Ministers’ website calling for the development and implementation of a State strategy for the protection of the national labor market, which would prioritize the employment of Ukrainian citizens and attract the Diaspora instead of foreign migration, has received the required number of votes for consideration.

According to the government’s website, the petition was submitted on May 11 and, as of May 19, had garnered the necessary 25,000 votes for consideration.

"We demand that the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine abandon its policy of mass recruitment of foreigners. Instead of importing foreign labor, the state must ensure working conditions and protection for its own citizens, including those living abroad and willing to return to help rebuild the country," the petition states.

The petition’s author proposes introducing a Labor Return program: providing guaranteed protection from mobilization for Ukrainian citizens (particularly those who left before 2022) who are willing to return to Ukraine to work in critical sectors (construction, energy, manufacturing).

Also among the proposals is a ban on issuing work permits to foreigners in industries where labor shortages can be addressed by reserving existing workers or recruiting Ukrainians from abroad.

Furthermore, it is proposed to impose a high fee on employers for hiring foreigners.

As reported, in recent weeks, the need to attract migrant workers to the Ukrainian labor market has been widely discussed in Ukraine.

NV edition, citing the Center for strategic communications and information security, reported that between May 1 and May 10, the Center’s specialists observed a surge in this topic on Ukrainian social media. During this period, experts analyzed 21,600 publications posted on 13,800 unique resources, including Facebook, Telegram, X, TikTok, YouTube, as well as news and information websites. They found that anti-migrant discourse had evolved from a local news story to a nationwide debate with a high level of engagement from anonymous sources. The most intense engagement occurred on Facebook and Telegram.