How to communicate on the Ukrainian refugee crisis and build on the support of host communities?

 Using online communication channels to provide Ukrainian refugees with up‑to‑date official information

As many European and OECD countries have been welcoming a large number of Ukrainian refugees over the past months, the major challenge for governments in terms of their communication outreach is to ensure that migrants can easily find reliable information on their rights and obligations, as well as the public services provided for them. This is key for a smooth running of migration and integration processes and for preventing particularly vulnerable migrants from becoming victim of false information and in the worst-case crimes of human trafficking.

Given that a disproportionately large share of Ukrainian refugees are young women (UN Women/CARE International, 2022[1]) with high digital literacy and access to digital devices, most OECD governments have largely been using online platforms and social media channels for the dissemination of information to Ukrainian refugees since the beginning of Russia’s large-scale aggression against Ukraine.

Research from other contexts confirms that young migrants predominantly use digital channels to make decisions about whether to migrate and which country of destination to choose, as well as to research information on their host country once they have migrated (Dekker et al., 2018[2]).

Using online websites and social media accounts enables governments to provide large quantities of information, implement content updates on a regular basis, connect users to other relevant channels and provide content in languages spoken by Ukrainian migrants.

The level of co‑operation between different ministries and state agencies in implementing online communication strategies varies greatly between OECD governments. While some countries such as Finland and Austria follow a decentralised communication approach, others, such as Belgium, Estonia and Australia, have established a single online platform collecting all relevant information from across governmental agencies.

Following a centralised communication strategy across state agencies and ministries increases clarity on where to access relevant information and coherency of information, especially when responsibilities overlap between different state institutions or agencies. Germany4Ukraine, for example, a dedicated web platform for Ukrainian refugees operated by the German Ministry of the Interior and Community, serves as the Federal Government’s central point of contact for Ukrainian refugees and is available in Ukrainian, Russian, English and German. It collects all up-to-date information from across ministries, notably on how to apply for a residence permit in Germany and get access to accommodation, social security benefits, medical care and other public services. A chat function allows users to ask questions based on their individual situations.

In some OECD countries, efforts have been made to create dedicated spaces for interactive exchanges with migrant communities online. Interactive digital tools such as online applications can allow governments to respond to communication needs of migrants, build trust and encourage them to share relevant information in their wider network. One innovative example of a dedicated online application is the Smart Migration App launched by the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs of the Czech Republic in April 2022. It is accessible in Ukrainian, English and Russian and gives Ukrainian refugees easy access to important information on employment opportunities and public services. The application includes a set of interactive tutorials that provide users with information tailored to their individual situation. It also features an intelligent personal assistant using natural language processing technology. It is trained in topics described in the tutorials and is able to answer questions in a dialogue.

While digital and social media offer a relatively inexpensive, easily accessible and media-rich means of communication, their use is not without challenges as various studies highlight issues with access and evaluation of the truthfulness of available information. Moreover, limited access to connectivity of refugees remains a general challenge for effective audience targeting (Gillespie, 2016[3]). In the case of Ukrainian refugees, many have issues accessing mobile internet data with Ukrainian SIM cards once they have left Ukraine. Against this background, a number of countries have set up initiatives to give Ukrainians facilitated access to mobile internet on their territory. For example, the Portuguese Government signed a collaboration agreement with the national association for electronic communication operators to offer free communication services for displaced persons from Ukraine and to distribute SIM cards. Several other countries, such as Iceland and Lithuania, have implemented similar agreements.

 Combining online and offline channels to broaden outreach and enable interactive exchanges

The simultaneous use of online and offline channels to convey key information and messages can further help governments to minimise the effects of possible communication disruptions, reaching Ukrainian refugees in different places at different times.

In the current crisis context, many host countries – such as Poland, Estonia and Latvia – use multilingual phone hotlines as an accessible communications tool which requires little technical equipment and knowledge and through which interactive communication with migrants can be facilitated, as direct conversations also help state agencies better understand the information needs of refugees. There are also dedicated helplines for victims of human trafficking in a number of countries.

Most host countries also use printed leaflets that are distributed in strategic places such as welcoming centres, providing essential information and redirecting refugees to the relevant online platforms and contacts. Many of them also include guidelines of how to protect yourself and others from becoming victim of human trafficking.

The advantage of printed information is that it can be easily be distributed to third actors, such as Non‑Governmental Organisations (NGOs) operating help centres and providing services to refugees in physical offices, acting as amplifiers of official government information.

 Mobilising and co‑ordinating civil society support online

Across host countries, Ukrainian refugees have been welcomed with unprecedented support not only from governments, but also from civil society. While this sense of solidarity has been an important factor in countries’ crisis response, support efforts need to be co‑ordinated to ensure their effectiveness as well as the safety of Ukrainian refugees, for example, when it comes to the registration of households providing accommodation. In terms of communication, this creates a need for governments to effectively inform individual citizens and civil society organisations about the ways in which they can help and support Ukrainian refugees.

Against this background, many hosting countries across the OECD have developed national platforms online to co‑ordinate individual and civic society support. In some cases, governments put systems in place to co‑ordinate the response in a specific field of action such as housing or employment. In France, the national Interministerial Delegation for the Reception and Integration of Refugees (DIAIR) implemented an online platform through which citizens can register to provide accommodation to Ukrainian refugees in their households and properties. With 40 000 registered accommodations, the platform played a significant role in providing ad hoc housing opportunities to a majority of newly arrived asylum seekers from Ukraine. Similarly, the online web page Je Veux Aider has been able to register 5 800 volunteers for various missions to support the humanitarian services provided to newly arrived Ukrainians, as well as 6 500 job offers for refugees from individuals.

In other cases, national platforms have been created to reunite all different types of services and actions, such as the Portuguese platform Portugal for Ukraine or the Italian Ukraine Emergency website. Many of such general platforms are linked to specific solidarity campaigns implemented through a variety of channels such as social media and press releases. Such campaigns allow for the provision of information under one label that can be easily shared by third actors. For example, Germany4Ukraine has created a media kit that is publicly available.

By co‑operating with civil society such as NGOs as well as with representatives of management and labour in terms of communication and enabling third actors to share official information on- and offline, governments are able to diversify their channels of communication and to target audiences more specifically, thus increasing the reach of their messages. In Denmark and Luxembourg, for example, the national Red Cross is operating multilingual phone hotlines to address enquiries from Ukrainian citizens in co‑operation with the governments. Other organisations help to facilitate the integration of Ukrainian refugees in society and labour markets. The World Employment Confederation, for example, has compiled a list of dedicated platforms that have been set up by the private employment services industry across Europe to provide humanitarian and employment support.

Partnering with migrant civil society actors such as migrant and diaspora networks can help governments overcome language issues, build trust with their audiences and better respond to communication needs. Italy, with the largest Ukrainian community in Western Europe (about 235 000 people before Russia’s war against Ukraine), has published a comprehensive mapping of Ukrainian migrant associations on the website of the Italian Ministry for Labour and Social Affairs. This has allowed the organisation of joint conferences with diaspora associations and helped the government to better understand the needs of the community. These events have led to the election of national and local community representatives, who are involved in the government’s crisis response and communication. A similar initiative has implemented in France, where members of the Ukrainian community helped to create information content in dedicated co-design workshops.

 Informing the public about crisis responses, migration and integration policies

In addition to the mobilisation and co‑ordination of civil society, several countries have started implementing communication strategies to help the public better understand the implications of Russia’s war in Ukraine for their country in terms of migration, what policies the government has put in place to welcome Ukrainian refugees, and what a long-term vision for their integration could look like. As research shows, such information is very important for sustaining the solidarity of civil society, preventing possible fears in host communities, and increasing trust in countries’ migration and integration systems (Banulescu-Bogdan, 2022[4]).

Most OECD countries publish regular updates on the number of Ukrainian refugees arriving in a given country, public expenditure and other relevant data describing the development of the crisis. Spain was one of the first countries to develop a dashboard presenting the profile of registered Ukrainian refugees in real time. In Italy, the national Protezione Civile, an agency dealing with emergency crises, posted three new dashboards in the Ukraine Emergency Maps Section on 11 May, presenting data on entries into Italy of people from Ukraine, requests for temporary protection, and livelihood contributions.

Several other countries, such as Ireland, Australia, Estonia, Denmark and Italy, have gone even further than that and have created online platforms offering a comprehensive overview of their global strategy in response to the crisis. The Portugal for Ukraine website, for example, gives an accessible and easily comprehensible overview of the totality of Portuguese state actions regarding the war in Ukraine, in terms of international action, humanitarian aid and the integration and hosting of Ukrainian refugees in Portugal. It explains the migration legislation in Portugal and what actions the government takes to help Ukrainians integrate in society. Similarly, the Irish Government has established a dedicated platform, Ireland’s response to the Russian Invasion of Ukraine, with information for the general public, businesses and Community Response Forum, a network of local groups established to co‑ordinate the community-led support for Ukrainian refugees in the country.

Such online platforms are often promoted through the use of other forms of communication, such as press releases and media coverage. Such co‑ordinated, pedagogical approach to presenting a county’s crisis response is crucial for the sustained acceptance of refugees in host societies, as it reassures the public of a coherent strategy allowing for migration processes to happen in an orderly manner, and also demonstrates a long-term vision for the integration of refugees and for how the government supports civil society initiatives.

In some countries, such efforts are accompanied by specific integration programmes that aim at facilitating personal exchanges between Ukrainian refugees and members of host communities. The Austrian Government, for example, launched a buddy programme with the aim of bringing together committed people from Austria with displaced Ukrainians between 12 and 35 years of age so that these individuals could be supported after their arrival in the country. Similar initiatives have been put in place in Denmark and the Czech Republic.