Why Ukraine has launched a platform for citizens considering a future return

As millions of Ukrainians weigh what comes after displacement, a new platform aims to help people make informed decisions about returning home without telling them they should.

For Ukrainians living across Europe, the hardest part of returning may no longer be the journey itself, but deciding where to begin with sorting out documents, work, housing, local services, or finding a place where rebuilding everyday life feels realistic.

Many Ukrainians abroad have spent their time working toward stability in their host countries. Yet even as they have settled into this new reality, many continue to imagine what their lives back in Ukraine might look like in the future.

Recent research by UNHCR and the OECD points to the same shift. For many people, the question is no longer simply whether they will come back, but what returning would actually require.

Ukraine has launched a new platform called Dodomu ("Homewards") for people navigating exactly that uncertainty.

It seeks to give people planning to return to Ukraine the reliable information they need to feel confident in their decision and to understand their options, whether they are thinking about moving next month, next year, or keeping the possibility open.

Turning uncertainty into a roadmap

After completing a short questionnaire, users receive a personalized roadmap that brings together practical information relevant to their circumstances, from documents and employment to housing, health care, social support, and other services that may matter before making a decision. The platform is built on the principle that the plan should fit the person making the decision.

Finding the right place to rebuild

Coming home does not always mean going back to the same place. While some people already know where they want to live, others are still comparing places across Ukraine, trying to work out where they could settle back into daily life, be close to family and friends, or find new opportunities.

According to the International Organization for Migration, decisions about returning are shaped not only by security, but also by access to housing, employment, health care, and reliable information before departure.

That is why Dodomu is built around individual communities rather than a single national overview. The platform currently has profiles of 154 communities across Ukraine, with local information on housing, jobs, health care, education, and available services. More communities are expected to join as the platform develops.

Recent research on Ukrainian communities by the charitable foundation Rokada suggests a similar pattern. Whether a return lasts increasingly depends on local conditions, particularly on access to practical support in the place where people choose to settle, rather than on national policy.

Note: The screenshot shows an English translation of the Dodomu website (dodomu.unity.gov.ua). The original website is in Ukrainian.

A platform taking shape

Dodomu is currently in beta, and its development is meant to continue with input from users.

The creators are inviting Ukrainians abroad to help shape it now, rather than wait for a finished product. They can test key features, report technical issues, and suggest practical improvements. Users can also share any concerns that still need to be resolved before they return.

Even for people who are not planning to return anytime soon, testing the platform can help improve a resource designed for millions of Ukrainians abroad whose circumstances continue to evolve. Users can leave feedback through the platform or share their own experiences of returning or what still stands in the way.

Dodomu was developed within the YOUA project "Shaping New Paths, Building Ukraine's Future," which is implemented on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH in cooperation with the Ukrainian Ministry of Social Policy, Family and Unity. According to the project, no Ukrainian state budget funds were used to develop or operate the platform.

The project supports informed return decisions by improving access to reliable information while strengthening the capacity of Ukrainian national institutions and local communities to receive returning citizens and facilitate sustainable reintegration. Its activities include conducting research, developing strategic documents, expanding the Dodomu platform, working with communities to improve their readiness for return, and engaging with Ukrainians abroad to maintain long-term dialogue and connections with Ukraine.

The project provides technical assistance only and does not influence individual decisions about returning to Ukraine. Participation in its activities and use of its services are entirely voluntary for people considering return, those who have already decided to return, and those currently reintegrating after returning to Ukraine.