War-hit Ukrainian employers expand recruitment in South Asia
Ukrainian businesses are increasingly recruiting workers from India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Nepal to fill the labor shortage brought on by Russia's war, four Ukrainian labor and business organizations told the Kyiv Independent.
Workers are mostly sought for seasonal work and entry-level positions in manufacturing, construction, logistics, and agriculture, they said.
"The demand for international recruitment is growing steadily," Mykola Zazulyak, CEO and founder of recruitment company Nuworkers, which has recruited dozens of foreigners for Ukrainian companies since 2024, told the Kyiv Independent.
"For many Ukrainian employers, this is their first time stepping beyond the domestic labor market,” he said, noting that firms are mostly recruiting workers from India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan, and Iraq. There is also a growing interest in recruiting from African countries, he said.
While conversations around importing foreign labor started in 2022, business efforts to recruit foreign workers only accelerated over the last year.
In a country that has long seen more people leave than arrive, and with no state program to recruit foreign workers, companies are now turning to recruitment agencies to help address a labor crisis that has left nearly three-quarters of companies short of workers, according to a survey conducted by the European Business Association between late 2023 and early 2024.
The exact number of foreigners coming to Ukraine to work is unknown, as the country doesn't have a unified national registry of migrant workers, but it is likely still low, in the thousands, rather than the tens of thousands, said Vasyl Voskoboinyk, president of the All-Ukrainian Association of International Employment Companies.
The Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce estimates that about 10% of companies currently hire foreigners — typically only a handful each — which helps explain why the number of foreign workers remains in the low thousands. Most businesses still prefer to retrain workers domestically to avoid language barriers and transport or housing costs.
Down the line, Ukraine will have no choice but to kickstart a mass immigration program, especially when reconstruction starts in earnest. Some 5-6 million Ukrainian refugees remain abroad, and less than half plan to return. Hundreds of thousands have also been injured in the war, particularly working-age men.
"It would be impossible to implement the reconstruction of Ukraine without foreign workers," Lev Partskhaladze, president of Ukraine’s Confederation of Builders, told the Kyiv Independent.
Private sector push
Businesses and some politicians have begun to push for changes in immigration policy. The parliament registered a draft law in July 2024, making it easier for employers to hire non-Ukrainians through a single work and residence permit. It would also allow foreign university students up to nine months to find a job or start a business.
Despite widespread support from businesses, the law hasn't been put up for a vote. The legislation "lacks clarity and is deficient in numerous legislative gaps," the Ukrainian NGO Labor Initiatives said, adding that it's unclear if the law’s conditions would still apply after Kyiv lifts martial law.
"Business is already demonstrating successful practices, like offering housing and a decent salary, but needs state support– simplifying the issuance of visas and permits, protecting the rights of foreign workers, and information campaigns abroad about job opportunities in Ukraine."
Another issue is balancing the need for immigrant workers and the social tensions it could inflame. A strategy plan until 2040, approved by parliament in September last year, lists the need for foreign specialists, but only if Ukrainian specialists can’t fill the job.
Once a candidate is found, contracts are signed in workers’ home countries, while the documents are handled under Ukrainian law. Many companies also cover their travel and housing.
"Business is already demonstrating successful practices, like offering housing and a decent salary, but needs state support — simplifying the issuance of visas and permits, protecting the rights of foreign workers, and information campaigns abroad about job opportunities in Ukraine," the Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce told the Kyiv Independent in a written statement.
Growing pains
Not every country is happy with the prospect of sending its citizens to a country suffering a brutal invasion.
In February, the Bangladesh embassy in Poland criticized a program to bring over 160 Bangladeshi workers to a furniture producer in Ukraine's western Zakarpattia Oblast, citing security concerns. The company, Lamella, told the Kyiv Independent it had stopped the program without providing details as to why.
Aside from the security risks, foreign workers also face issues such as limited access to healthcare and banking services, as well as language barriers. Some are disappointed when they arrive in Ukraine and leave their jobs prematurely. Some come to Ukraine as a way to get to neighboring EU countries.
The key is improving communication, preparing people before they come to Ukraine, and supporting them properly once they arrive, said Zazulyak.
"Ukraine is just beginning its journey toward attracting foreign labor. The first success cases are emerging, experience is accumulating, and internal standards are being developed," said Zazulyak.
"Foreign workers are not just about labor resources — they represent openness, economic development, and international integration."
