Supporting Ukrainian refugees on the autism spectrum in Polish educational and therapy centers: The perspective of professionals

ABSTRACT Entrepreneurship represents a potential pathway for refugees’ social and economic integration, yet existing research provides limited insight into the roles of entrepreneurial dispositions and perceptions of host-country institutions in shaping refugees’ readiness to initiate start-up activities. Drawing on survey data from Ukrainian refugees in Sweden (n = 92), this study examines the effects of individual-level entrepreneurial orientation dimensions (risk-taking, innovativeness, and proactivity) and crisis-response capacities (resilience and crisis self-efficacy) on entrepreneurial readiness. We further investigate whether these relationships are contingent on refugees’ perceptions of the regulatory, cognitive, and normative institutional environments in their host country. Our results reveal that risk-taking and innovativeness are positively associated with readiness, whereas crisis self-efficacy has a negative effect and may be redirected towards managing post-displacement life demands and adaptation challenges. Institutional perceptions play a conditioning role, with cognitive and normative environments enabling the expression of innovativeness, while regulatory and normative contexts weaken the effect of resilience on readiness. By showing how entrepreneurial dispositions are selectively activated under forced displacement and shaped by institutional conditions, our study extends entrepreneurship theory to refugee contexts and offers practical guidance for designing support initiatives that better align refugees’ individual capacities with institutional conditions.

Russia’s war against Ukraine has forced millions to leave their country. Although Ukrainian refugees were immediately entitled to access labor markets within the European Union, employment rates remained moderate in many European countries one year after the outbreak of war. This article investigates the underexplored question of how unemployed Ukrainian refugees in Germany envisioned their professional future early after arrival, how they experienced institutionalized requirements, and how the two interact. We identify four behavioral patterns—career orientation, impatience, hesitancy and overstrain—and capture nuanced differences in work intentions and institutional experiences. Our findings reveal unintended negative consequences of one-size-fits-all policies and invite complexity thinking both politically and scientifically.

The conflict in Ukraine has led to the displacement of millions of children and their mothers, posing an unprecedented challenge to host countries such as Spain. The aim of this paper is to analyse the perceptions of refugee children and their mothers of Ukrainian origin on the social and educational factors that influence their reception process in the Spanish education system. A qualitative approach was adopted, with 26 participants, 13 mothers and 13 children aged between 8 and 15 years. The results obtained were classified inductively into three categories of analysis: barriers to educational inclusion, facilitators of educational inclusion and suggestions for improving this process. As a strength, the commitment of the actors involved was demonstrated by an unprecedented protective response. However, significant barriers were identified in relation to language immersion, the attention and understanding of teachers and classmates, the workload of the school and the invisibility of their circumstances and needs, which compromised the process of welcoming refugee minors. In conclusion, all social and educational agents should contribute to an effective response to the migration paradigm, for which it is essential to guarantee the fulfilment of the right to quality education for all minors.

ABSTRACT Advocating the heuristic value of a relational approach, this article investigates how, in the context of forced migration, agency arises from the multiple interactions and interdependencies within refugees’ social networks. Based on qualitative data, it examines the relational mechanisms underlying the coping strategies employed by Ukrainian refugees in Romania. By analysing the reconfigurations of personal networks and flows of social support during the migration process, it identifies four ideal‐types of relational agency , defined by the outcomes they enable. These types emerge from diverse social ties and interdependencies within reconfigured personal networks, which can either constrain, enable or guide refugees’ decisions and actions. They vary according to migrants’ needs and goals, the resources embedded in their networks, and the relational work they invest in activating these resources in specific spatio‐temporal contexts. Relational agency thus emerges as a context‐sensitive continuum of doing agency unfolding within evolving configurations of personal relationships.

Over 500,000 Ukrainian refugees have sought asylum in the United States since 2022, when the Russian government invaded Ukraine. The purpose of this study was to explore how Ukrainian nurses in the United States account for a cultural understanding of Ukrainian refugees. A pilot study using focused ethnography was conducted between March and July 2024. Data were generated from interviews with six Ukrainian nurses, field notes, artwork, and public documents. Using thematic content analysis, three themes were derived. The first theme, A sanctuary of help, depicted how Ukrainian communities were found in local churches that provided a support system. The second theme, Who am I here?, reflected uncertainty about the war and refugee status. The last theme, Unstable underpinnings, revealed how the resettlement process impacted refugees' cultural identity. With a shared cultural heritage, Ukrainian nurses play an important role in the care of refugees during resettlement.

The article examines the experiences of Lithuanian residents who hosted Ukrainian refugees in their homes in the immediate aftermath of Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine. First, it argues that the commonly used migration and refugee terminology may be a misfit for this situation, as Lithuanian hosts did not view Ukrainians primarily as refugees, nor were they treated as such legally. Instead, hosts often saw Ukrainians as wives and children of soldiers of a related polity defending Europe’s frontier, with hosting framed through the lens of war and having agency in it. Second, the article examines how the perceived ‘fit’ between the Lithuanian and Ukrainian polities – historical and geopolitical – was experienced and reconfigured through hosting. Although guests occasionally, albeit to varying degrees, did not meet hosts’ expectations, this did not affect the overall sense of affinity between the two polities. At the time of my fieldwork, the affinity rested on the commitment to and faith in Ukraine’s victory – though rarely defined – which is why hosts often viewed stories of ‘misfitting’ as distractions from this existential goal. The article sheds light on the epistemic and affective labour that goes into positioning oneself and others in relation to war.

ABSTRACT This study explores the experiences of Ukrainian refugee families in Cyprus, focusing on their migration challenges and adaptation strategies. It examines how they navigate daily obstacles, maintain well-being, and preserve cultural and linguistic identities amid displacement caused by war and instability. Despite their diversity, the research highlights their shared efforts to sustain family ties across borders despite separation and mobility constraints. The study examines how these families adapt their social and linguistic practices in the host country while considering options for return and reunification. Special attention is given to attitudes toward Ukrainian and Russian, reflecting their symbolic and pragmatic significance amidst geopolitical tensions. Methodologically, the research combines quantitative and qualitative data analysis within a theoretical framework rooted in family and migration studies, and sociolinguistics. The findings reveal how migration trajectories impact family cohesion, cultural preservation, and integration processes under conditions of uncertainty. The paper discusses the implications for policy and support services for transnational refugee families in Cyprus and, more broadly, in Europe, highlighting their resilience, needs, and complex identities in a temporary host environment. This study contributes to a deeper understanding of the multifaceted experiences of forced migration and the dynamics of transnational family paths in contemporary conflict contexts.

Adolescence is a critical period for developing coping capacities, yet global crises like the COVID‐19 pandemic and war displacement impose unprecedented stressors that can overwhelm existing resources. This study qualitatively explored and compared how adolescents in Germany (N = 20 experiencing pandemic lockdown, aged 11–16; N = 25 Ukrainian refugees experiencing displacement, aged 12–18) coped with these distinct adversities. Drawing on an integrated theoretical framework (combining the transactional model of stress and coping with a risk and resilience framework), we analyzed semi‐structured interviews using reflexive thematic analysis to explore the connections among contextual stressors, their impact on resources, and reported coping strategies. Findings revealed that while both crises elicited common coping functions—including adapting routines, emotion regulation, maintaining/rebuilding social connections, and positive reframing—the specific form and feasibility of these strategies appeared to be linked to how each crisis uniquely impacted adolescents' personal, social, and material resources. Crisis‐specific strategies were also identified, which seemed to correspond to the distinct resource challenges associated with pandemic confinement (e.g., purposeful engagement with idle time) versus war displacement (e.g., focus on educational continuity amidst profound loss and acculturative demands). These findings underscore that adolescent coping is a dynamic, context‐dependent process contingent on available resources. Understanding these connections between stressors, resources, and coping is crucial for developing interventions that are both broadly applicable and tailored to the specific challenges adolescents face in diverse crisis situations, considering their developmental needs.

BackgroundDisplacement caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine has subjected millions of Ukrainians to forced displacement, migration, exposing them not only to direct war-related trauma but also to substantial post-displacement stress. Refugees face disrupted employment, residential instability, and ongoing uncertainty in host countries. While prevalence of stress-related disorders is well established, less is known about how war-related stress and life satisfaction evolve over time in this population.MethodsA longitudinal cohort study was conducted among Ukrainian refugees in Germany. The analytic sample comprised 164 participants who completed at least two of five survey waves over a six-month period (September 2022–March 2023). Post-traumatic stress symptoms were assessed with the Posttraumatic Symptom Scale at each wave and validated against the Impact of Event Scale – Revised at baseline and follow-up. Life satisfaction was assessed with the Satisfaction With Life Scale. Distinct adjustment patterns were identified through group-based multi-trajectory modelling. Descriptive statistics, group comparisons, and linear mixed-effects modelling were additionally used to contextualize data.ResultsMulti-trajectory analysis yielded four main groups: persistently high stress with poor satisfaction with life; broadly diverse, but stable profiles; stress reduction without parallel gains in life satisfaction; and combined stress reduction with later improvements in life satisfaction. More favourable courses were associated with younger age, higher education, urban residence, and prior public-sector employment. Across the full sample, post-traumatic stress symptoms declined sharply over time, with the proportion meeting the cutoff for probable PTSD decreasing, whereas mean life satisfaction remained low and showed no systematic change.ConclusionAdjustment following war-related displacement is highly heterogeneous. Although acute symptoms of traumatic stress tended to subside, life satisfaction showed little recovery, underscoring a divergence between symptom relief and overall well-being. Patterns of adaptation were shaped not only by individual resources but also by structural constraints such as job loss and residential downgrading. Interventions for displaced populations should therefore address both clinical needs and socioeconomic integration to enable sustainable recovery of refugees.

This article introduces the MoPEI (Mechanisms of Precarious Economic Incorporation) framework, a conceptual-analytical tool for explaining how refugees are steered into precarious labor through the relational and layered intersections of multiple mechanisms. Considering the labor market realities of Central and Eastern Europe, MoPEI identifies six such mechanisms – structural constraints, temporal and legal ambiguity, migration infrastructures, semi-compliance, normative pressures, and bounded agency – and models their interplays using network analysis. We apply this framework to a case study of forcibly displaced Ukrainians in Czechia, where our evidence points to their substantial engagement in informal, semi-formal, and precarious economic activities alongside rapid labor market entry. Drawing on two waves of survey data (2022, 2023) and focus group discussions, our findings demonstrate how the MoPEI mechanisms interact to facilitate and institutionalize precarious incorporation, shaped by entrenched brokerage practices, weak protection, limited agency, and structural disadvantages. In doing so, MoPEI addresses the limits of fragmented and thematically specific explanations by offering a relational account of how precarious incorporation is co-produced.

ABSTRACT This study examines the social networks of Ukrainian refugee families in Finland, Estonia, and Lithuania approximately two years after the commencement of the Russian invasion. Using egocentric social network analysis (SNA) and semi-structured interviews, it explores how family and school-based connections facilitate integration and everyday support. The findings reveal that families maintained stronger ties with other Ukrainians, both locally and transnationally, than with members of host communities. Language barriers, adjusting to different school systems, and the “double school” phenomenon shaped children’s and families’ experiences of belonging, while the erosion of previous ties added to social vulnerability. The study shows that schools play a vital role not only in education but also in rebuilding stability, adding to trust, and social participation. However, pedagogical efforts alone are insufficient; strengthening the social and relational dimensions of schooling is crucial to support refugee families’ integration in their host societies.

The study aimed to provide a comparative analysis of HRQoL and its health-related and socio-demographic correlates among Ukrainian refugees and general population in Estonia. Study used age and sex matched data (1249 pairs) from two representative cross-sectional surveys covering Ukrainian refugees aged 18-64years residing in Estonia (n = 1,430), and the general population (n = 2007) of Estonia in 2024. Tobit-regression was used to compare the EQ-5D-3L index values in both groups while controlling for wide range of socio-demographic and health indicators. Refugees reported less restrictions in mobility, self-care or in performing usual activities, whereas higher prevalence of pain/discomfort and anxiety/depression was found for refugees compared to control group. Refugees had slightly lower EQ-5D index score (estimate -0.017, p = 0.029) compared to population controls after adjustment for socio-demographic and health-related covariates. Variations in EQ-5D-3L dimensions and index scores between refugees and population controls contribute to the literature on refugee HRQoL and extend the knowledge on HRQoL of Ukrainian refugees in the context of ongoing refugee crisis in Europe while also improving knowledge for support provision to this refugee group in Estonia.

Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, which began on February 24, 2022, has resulted in a rapid influx of refugees into Poland, numbering several million. The armed conflict on the territory of Ukraine, which began in 2022, has entailed a number of social consequences. Local governments, government administration, public institutions, social, non-governmental and church organizations, entrepreneurs and residents have all joined forces to provide assistance to Ukrainian citizens. NGOs play a key role in helping the Ukrainian community in Poland. Their activities include helping refugees in Poland, providing humanitarian support to Ukraine, as well as countering disinformation and building communication bridges. The Polish Red Cross is one of the many entities that actively participate in adaptation and integration processes for Ukrainian citizens. This institution focuses primarily on helping people from Ukraine within long-term integration programs. The Polish Red Cross is constantly developing activation programs that provide refugees from Ukraine with stabilization and social integration. As part of the active activities of the Polish Red Cross, refugees receive comprehensive assistance in the areas of education, employment, health care and psychological support. The aim of this article is to attempt to analyse the forms of assistance and support for Ukrainian refugees implemented by the Polish Red Cross. Keywords: non-governmental organizations, humanitarian aid, support, integration, adaptation

In contemporary international relations, the role of diasporas as non-state actors is increasing. Ukraine’s attention to its own diaspora has grown over recent years. This is explained by the need to establish interaction between the two sides in order to improve Ukraine’s image in the world and gain support from the international community. The Republic of Moldova is one of Ukraine’s closest neighboring countries, where a significant number of Ukrainians live, and various Ukrainian organizations and institutions operate. One of the leading organizations is the National Congress of Ukrainians of Moldova (NCUM), established in 2021. Despite being relatively new, the Congress has established itself as a powerful organization, cooperating with Moldovan authorities and a number of international partners. The purpose of this article is to characterize the activities of the NCUM as a representative of diaspora diplomacy. To this end, its work has been analyzed across several directions: consolidation of Moldovan Ukrainians, promotion of Ukrainian culture, and assistance to Ukrainian refugees in adapting to life in Moldova. It is emphasized that the NCUM pays significant attention to uniting and developing the Ukrainian community in Moldova. As an umbrella organization, it is effectively the main representative of Moldovan Ukrainians, and the leader of the NCUM is the leader of the Ukrainian community in Moldova. In this context, the functioning of the Council of Mayors under the diaspora organization is also important. It is noted that the NCUM makes an important contribution to spreading knowledge about Ukraine in Moldova and cooperates closely with the Embassy of Ukraine. A key event in Ukrainian life can be considered the «Ukrainian Day in Moldova». The organization also places great importance on the development of Ukrainian education. Overall, such activities contribute to the preservation of Ukrainian national identity among Ukrainians in Moldova. Significant efforts of the NCUM regarding assistance and support to Ukrainian refugees are highlighted. In this area, in cooperation with Moldovan authorities and international organizations, a considerable number of projects and initiatives have been successfully implemented aimed at their social adaptation, children's education, employment, and more. The author concludes that the activities of the NCUM clearly demonstrate manifestations of diaspora diplomacy, contribute to improving Moldovan-Ukrainian relations, and can serve as a model for Ukrainian organizations of a similar type in other foreign countries.

Immigration by Design: Factors Affecting Ukrainian Refugees’ Relocation to the United States

ABSTRACT Periods of war and geopolitical conflict heighten perceptions of collective identity threat, which can increase endorsement of conspiracy beliefs and intergroup prejudice. Drawing on the Social Identity Model of Collective Psychological Responses to Threat, this research examined how symbolic identity threat structures conspiracy beliefs and prejudice in Slovakia during the Russo–Ukrainian war. In Study 1 ( N = 397), Western‐ and Eastern‐aligned identity threat corresponded to distinct conspiracy narratives and prejudice targets, indicating that conspiracy endorsement was organized by identity threat rather than reflecting a general tendency toward conspiratorial thinking. In Study 2 ( N = 690), a distinct longitudinal pathway emerged in which identity threat predicted subsequent endorsement of both conflict‐specific and general conspiracy beliefs, which in turn predicted later prejudice toward Ukrainians. Together, these findings provide preliminary evidence for how conspiracy beliefs function within active geopolitical conflicts and why their prejudicial consequences depend on both the form of identity threat and the conflict context in which they arise. Future research in this context may benefit from experimentally varying identity‐based threat appraisals and examining how changes in threat relate to conspiracy endorsement and prejudice over time.

Refugees of war are at high risk of exposure to war-related potentially traumatic events (PTEs) and the development of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The stress sensitization hypothesis posits that adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) can sensitize individuals to the stress of PTEs in adulthood. This study examined how ACEs might sensitize refugees to war exposure in a sample of 3,486 Ukrainian refugees. We identified four latent classes of ACEs: low exposure (57.4%), household dysfunction (21.5%), maltreatment (16.7%), and high exposure (4.4%). These classes were used in a logistic regression model to test for associations with PTSD, and an ACE Class x War Exposure interaction term was used to test for stress sensitization. Female gender, odds ratio (OR) = 1.99, 95% confidence interval (CI) [1.58, 2.49]; war exposure, OR = 1.55, 95% CI [1.30, 1.83]; and all ACE classes, ORs = 1.14-2.84, were significantly associated with PTSD, whereas we found no effects of stress sensitization. The lack of stress sensitization effects in our analysis might have been caused by uniformly high stress levels in this refugee sample, as well as the broadly defined war exposure measure we used. Future research should aim to assess whether certain types or intensities of exposure better reveal sensitization effects.

The aim of this study was to investigate the experiences of school nurses working with refugee children from Ukraine. This research was conducted as a qualitative interview study, using an inductive approach and a semi-structured interview guide. School nurses (n = 8) from different parts of Sweden were interviewed, and the data were analyzed through a qualitative content analysis. The COREQ guidelines were followed for reporting study findings. Four categories were identified in the analysis: (1) Initial health conversations with the Ukrainian refugee children, (2) Experience of challenges during the health visits, (3) The impact of war on the Ukrainian refugee children, and (4) To have a health-promoting everyday life. The present study shows that the school nurse has an important function in promoting the health of Ukrainian refugee children, and describes the health conversation as a significant part of the meeting with these children. The work of public health nurses in schools in supporting Ukrainian refugee children can be optimized through increased cultural awareness, which can help promote the children's overall health. The study question was identified in discussion with school nurses.

This paper offers a characterization of the model for reception education that was prescribed in the Danish special legislation on Ukrainian refugees (2022) and explores how the legislation and different reception models were perceived and negotiated by agents on different levels of municipal administration and school practice in two case municipalities from the spring of 2022 to the autumn of 2023. Focusing on the purposes of refugee education, the study addresses how reception education models are negotiated vertically, that is, from the state policy to the municipality and school levels, and horizontally in different temporal phases. The paper contributes to the scholarly debate on the complexity of the reception of Ukrainian refugees, which both is related to the possibilities for an updated education model for newcomers that considers multilingualism and temporariness as parameters of reception and the ongoing debate on differentiation mechanisms between refugee groups and how political discourses and considerations influence pedagogical practice regarding newly arrived children and young people. We conclude that although the special legislation signals the enabling of multilingual reception education and a more nuanced purpose of reception, our case studies indicate that the Ukrainian group has not fully benefited from the possibilities of the law.