---
title: "Sergey Prytula on Refugees: Europe Does Not Want to Return Working Ukrainians, but is Ready to Accept 'Agents of Influence'"
description: "Sergey Prytula stated that Europe is not in a hurry to return working Ukrainians, considering them valuable capital, but is ready to accept those receiving social assistance. The volunteer proposed creating a Ukrainian faction in the Polish Sejm, taking into account the economic contribution of the diaspora. 🇺🇦🇪🇺"
date: 2026-06-11T15:10:00.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/sergey-prytula-on-refugees-europe-does-not-want-to-return-working-ukrainians
tags: []
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# Sergey Prytula on Refugees: Europe Does Not Want to Return Working Ukrainians, but is Ready to Accept 'Agents of Influence'

![Serhiy Prytula reflecting on refugees and EU policy: Europe doesn't want to return working Ukrainians but is ready to accept 'agents of influence'](https://xab.info/media/2026/06/11/sergey-pritula-o-bezhentsakh-evropa-ne-hochet-vernyat-rabotayushchih-ukrainskov/sergey-pritula-o-bezhentsakh-evropa-ne-hochet-vernyat-rabotayushchih-ukrainskov-1.webp)

The question of the return of millions of Ukrainians from Europe in the near future may receive an unexpected answer. As noted by the well-known volunteer and public figure Sergey Prytula in an interview with RBK-Ukraine, the governments of European countries are unlikely to rush to repatriate those who have already found work and successfully integrated into local societies.

### Division into 'Needed' and 'Unneeded'

According to Prytula, European states are interested in the return of only a certain category of citizens — those who receive social assistance. At the same time, Ukrainians who have become part of the economies of host countries are viewed as valuable human capital that they do not want to lose.

Prytula emphasizes that Ukrainians are not 'typical refugees'. According to him, this is predominantly Christian youth who quickly master languages, are hardworking and law-abiding. He cites the absence of so-called 'Ukrainian ghettos' in major European cities, such as Frankfurt or London, where there are no security problems in areas of compact Ukrainian residence.

### Conditions for Return

According to the volunteer's analysis, the only real program for the return of Ukrainians is the creation of safe living conditions and high-paying jobs in Ukraine. Without these factors, the mass outflow of population will continue.

However, Prytula also proposes a strategy for working with those who decide to stay abroad. He believes that the state should maintain contact with them, viewing them as potential 'agents of influence'.

### Political Potential of the Diaspora

Special attention in the interview was paid to the idea of political representation of Ukrainians in the parliaments of EU countries. Prytula put forward an ambitious concept of creating a Ukrainian faction in the Polish Sejm, citing the example of the Swedish faction in the Finnish parliament.

Statistics confirm the significance of this idea: more than 2.5 million Ukrainians live in Poland, who are tightly integrated into the economy and contribute to the country's GDP, exceeding 2.7%. Prytula calls this potential colossal.

To implement such a political platform, initiative is needed both from the Ukrainian state and from the Ukrainians in Poland themselves. The key factor for success will be the unification of disparate public organizations around a single goal.

### Context of Changes in the EU

It should be recalled that in June, discussions began in the European Union on revising the protection program for Ukrainian men. In particular, proposals are being made to stop granting refugee status to men subject to mobilization in Ukraine. Read more about which countries support these changes and which oppose them in a separate RBK-Ukraine article.