Opinion poll: Ukrainians have rather positive attitude towards IDPs

The majority of Ukrainians has positive or neutral attitude towards internally displaced persons (IDPs).

This is reported by Ukrayinska Pravda online newspaper citing the results of the poll conducted by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology.

According to the poll results, almost all respondents have positive attitude towards the internally displaced persons from Donbas and Crimea (43% throughout Ukraine and 58% in the areas with the largest concentration of IDPs) or neutral attitude (47% and 34%).

In addition, the study authors noted that the attitude of the overwhelming majority of the population (83%) to the displaced persons remained unchanged over the two years since the onset of the conflict in Ukraine.

“The social and economic infrastructure of some host communities barely endure overload. This, in turn, gives rise to a conflict between the local population and internally displaced persons. However, as the study shows, the public opinion in most cases is positive or neutral over two years,” Vadym Chernysh, the Minister of Ukraine for the temporarily occupied territories and internally displaced persons, said.

The presence of IDPs has had an impact on the daily lives of 30% of the host communities.

The study also showed the negative attitudes towards IDPs in the capital and in the western Ukraine. The Kyiv residents, much often than in other places, assess the presence of IDPs in a negative way.

The residents of the western Ukraine focus on the pro-Russian political views, unwillingness of IDPs to work equally with all, aggressive attitude to locals, arrogance, desire to have a special status because of their life circumstances.

It is in this region the local population is in lesser contact with the IDPs (50% of respondents have not communicated with them and are not aware of their presence in their town of village), and therefore has less opportunity to form an impression of the IDPs from personal experience.

As reported, a number of non-governmental organizations opposed the adoption by the Government of amendments to the Decree No. 637 on social benefits to IDPs. Activists claim the changes will narrow the rights of internally displaced persons.