Зеркало для ксенофоба: чем украинец в Польше отличается от индийца в Киеве. Василий Воскобойник

Ukraine is facing a demographic catastrophe, the consequences of which will determine the country's fate for decades to come. This is the topic of Yuriy Romanenko's talk with migration and demography expert Vasyl Voskoboinik, who first appeared in this studio seven years ago and has been closely monitoring the transformation of the Ukrainian labor market ever since. The conversation began with a wave of hysteria on social media surrounding the presence of foreign workers on Ukrainian construction sites. The expert attributes this reaction not to xenophobia per se, but to the cumulative stress of a society living through its fifth year of war: men hiding from conscription are sensitive to the presence of foreigners who can move and work freely. This emotional wave, Voskoboinik is convinced, is being deliberately fueled by hostile media organizations. The figures the expert cites speak for themselves. Even before the war, Ukraine's annual natural population decline was approximately 300,000 people—with 500,000 deaths and only 200,000 births. Approximately 6 million Ukrainians are currently living abroad, of whom at least 70% will not return. Approximately 2 million men are evading conscription within the country. In total, more than 10 million people of working age have been removed from the productive economy. Meanwhile, by the beginning of 2026, only 11,000 foreign citizens were legally employed in all of Ukraine—a paltry figure amid the catastrophic labor shortage in construction, energy, healthcare, education, logistics, and dozens of other sectors. Voskoboinyk and Romanenko analyze the economic rationale for hiring migrants: hiring one foreign worker costs an employer up to 150,000 hryvnias. No business would pay this amount if local labor was available. It's not a question of desire—it's a question of the physical absence of people. The conversation moves beyond statistics and into the realm of civilizational reflection. Ukrainians abroad receive social benefits and don't pay taxes in their host countries—the same logic used by German right-wing parties against migrants, including Ukrainians. The broadcast ends with a stark diagnosis: without changing the quality of social relations within the country—from family to government—no economic growth or rebuilding is possible. Institutions are built by people, not paperwork. You can buy merch here: https://medoyid.com Monobank donation to the studio: https://send.monobank.ua/jar/5C86fTjsiU Become a channel sponsor:    / @yuriyromanenko_ukraine   You can support the channel: To my Patreon:   / romanenkoyuriy   to my Privat card: 4731 1856 1467 7968 to my Monobank card: 5375 4114 2205 9084 PayPal: [email protected] Follow my channels on social media: My Telegram channel: https://t.me/romanenko_dns My Viber channel https://invite.viber.com/?g2=AQA8fdi5... My Facebook page:   / yuriy.romanenko1977   My business page on Facebook   / yuriy.romanenko   My Instagram page:   / ​​   My Twitter page   / shan_yan   My TikTok page   / yuriyrom77   "Hvylya" Facebook page   / hvylya   TIMECODES 00:00:41 — Greetings. Broadcast Topic: Labor Migration and Ukraine's Demographic Crisis 00:02:42 — Guest Introduction. Vasyl Voskoboinyk, Migration and Demography Expert 00:04:07 — Drastic Changes in the Labor Market Since the War. Key Figures: 6 Million Ukrainians Abroad, 6 Million IDPs, 300,000 Population Loss Annually 00:05:29 — Why 70% of Ukrainians Won't Return. Four Factors: Security, Housing, Employment, and Social Infrastructure 00:07:46 — Internal Labor Market Reserves: IDPs, People with Disabilities, Women in Non-Traditional Professions 00:10:04 — Acute Labor Shortage in All Sectors. Salary Increases Don't Solve the Problem of Physical Absence 00:11:12 — The Nature of Anti-Immigrant Hysteria on Social Media The Role of Information Attacks and Military Stress in Society 00:12:50 — Real Statistics: 11,000 Legal Foreign Workers in Ukraine at the Beginning of 2026 00:17:13 — How Many Labor Migrant Workers Does Ukraine Need and What Kind of Economy Are We Building? 00:22:21 — The Transition to an Era of Chronic Labor Shortages — an Irreversible Divide 00:27:01 — The Mirror Paradox: Ukrainians Abroad and Foreigners in Ukraine — the Same Logic 00:33:23 — The Cost of Attracting One Migrant: Up to 150,000 UAH Businesses don't pay out of desire 00:40:44 — Ukrainians negotiate abroad because they fall into someone else's system of rules 00:47:37 — A German case: 950,000 Ukrainians on social benefits and the logic of the AFD 00:55:10 — The root of poverty is the quality of social relations, not a lack of resources 00:58:55 — Are those returning from Europe and the front capable of changing the country? 01:01:54 — Bottom line: without people, there is...