More than five hundred days have passed since the full-scale war, which forced millions of Ukrainians to leave their homes. According to official data, more than 77,000 internally displaced persons were registered in Volyn region, and 53,000 of them still live in the region. In some communities, IDPs make up about 14% of the official population. Considering the number of Volyn residents, who went abroad, the number is even bigger.

Despite the fact that these numbers are approximate due to difficulties with counting, the importance of internally displaced persons for the relatively “rear” Volyn region is difficult to overestimate. We spoke with experts, representatives of charitable foundations and IDPs themselves to find out whether they manage to become a full-fledged part of the community, achieve their own success here and help the overall development.

Experts and fund workers, who work directly with IDPs. note the psychological problems that prevent the integration of many of them. In particular, it is an unwillingness to accept a new community as their home and start building a new life here. Moreover, it can be difficult to help such people because of their isolated lifestyle. Some of the IDPs who live in rented accommodation leave the house only to go shopping.

However, there are successful examples of displaced persons who successfully integrated into Volyn communities thanks to their own skills and initiative. The dissemination of information about opportunities for IDPs, education, trainings and integration tours, conducted by public organizations together with the authorities, facilitate the integration. IDP councils, which function as advisory bodies under local self-government bodies, have also become an important tool in certain communities.