MIGRATION PROCESSES AND UKRAINIAN LANGUAGE FUNCTIONING

Abstract

Objective. The objective of the article is to analyze the migration processes of Ukrainians and their influence on the development and functioning of the language. Methods. The main scientific results are obtained by analyzing the statistical data of surveys of various sociological institutes in the period from 2011 to 2022, based on the survey data conducted by the sociological service of the Razumkov Center together with the Ilko Kucheriv Democratic Initiatives Foundation. Results. The issue of migration of Ukrainians is constantly in the scope of interest of scientists, because migration processes affect various spheres of society’s life. Socio-political changes in the country have a two-pronged nature: on the one hand, Ukrainians got the opportunity to cross the border without a visa, on the other hand, this also simplified the employment process. Now it is enough to cross the border and spend money on a visa, and you can already look for a job in Europe without intermediary agencies. The outflow of the working-age population has a negative impact on the economy of Ukraine, wage earners do not pay taxes and spend their money in European countries instead of investing in their own economy. In the process of researching migration flows of Ukrainians over a rather long period since 2011. by 2022, it is found that their vector affects the functioning of the Ukrainian language. It is determined that the highest demand and recognition of the Ukrainian language as a native language falls on the periods associated with the growth of the percentage of migrants in 2014 and 2022. After the full-scale invasion, Ukrainians prefer those countries that are culturally close to Ukrainian culture, where the language is as similar as possible — Poland, the Czech Republic, and where, accordingly, it is already possible to be in labor migration. It is also indicative that migration processes have affected the global status of the Ukrainian language, because the number of people wishing to learn the language of the world’s strongest nation has increased.