SPATIAL FEATURES AND SOCIO-ECONOMIC PROBLEMS OF FORCED INTERNAL DISPLACEMENT IN THE ODESA REGION
Authors: Ostra V. A. , Yavorska V. V. , Kudelina S. B. 
Published: February 2024

Problem Statement and Purpose. In today's context, migration is becoming one of the most important issues for Ukraine. The socio-economic disparities in each region of the country are largely influenced by large-scale forced internal migration, which has both positive and negative aspects. Timely identification of problems and development of solutions to them makes it possible to bring the situation under control. Odesa region is a leader among the southern regions of the country in terms of the number of registered internally displaced persons (IDPs). The relevance of the study of this type of migration is due to its impact on the socio-economic status of communities and the level of integration of IDPs in the region. The article presents a structural, dynamic and regional analysis of the movement of internally displaced persons in Odesa region. In the course of the study, the trends in the distribution of internal migrants and the factors that influence it were identified. The positive and negative factors of this type of migration on the socio-economic status of the region's communities are analyzed. Ways to solve these problems were proposed.
Data & Methods. The study of the processes of forced internal migration of the population was based on a documentary analysis of the legislative framework and policy on migration processes in Ukraine. For the statistical analysis, data from the official websites of the relevant executive authorities of the country, the administration of Odesa region and the International Organization for Migration in Ukraine were used. To achieve this goal, the following methods were used: dialectical, empirical, modeling, and comparison.
Results. The study of the movement of forced internal migration in Odesa region found that the rapid growth of new population is affecting the economic, environmental, and socio-cultural spheres of the region. The analysis of migrants' settlement in the region showed that the settlement is uneven. The leader in terms of the number of registered migrants among the seven districts of the region is Odesa district with the regional center of Odesa, with 93524 people registered as of January 2023, which is 67% of the total number of registered IDPs. This indicates that IDPs choose settlements with developed infrastructure, high economic and social standards of living of the local population, and a larger number of support programs from local governments aimed at solving problems and supporting IDPs. The overwhelming majority of migrants come from Mykolaiv and Kherson regions, due to the territorial proximity of these southern regions. The study identified the factors of influence of forced internal migration on the socio-economic situation in Odesa region. Among the main positive factors are: increased production and attraction of new investments in the communities of the region. The following negative factors were identified: unregulated control of registered migrants, burden on the economic, educational and medical funds of the region, and increased anthropogenic impact on the environment.
As a result of the analysis of the identified problems and needs, ways to solve them were proposed, namely: to increase investments to improve infrastructure in each district of the region, which will allow developing programs for the uniform resettlement of the population, improving the system of social and financial programs for different groups of migrants, and increasing the level of patriotic education among the local population. All this will help internally displaced persons to adapt better in new communities, and the local population will improve their living standards and reduce discrimination in the region.