The changing characteristics of the Ukrainian migration to Greece: the case of women immigrants

Abstract

The case of Ukrainian migrants in Greece is notable for its distinctly gendered composition, with women consistently comprising nearly 80% of the population since the early 1990s, when the first migration flows began. This study examines the migration of women from Ukraine to Greece within the broader context of an Eastern European migration system, analysing the evolving characteristics and determining factors of migration across two distinct time periods. The concept of well-being is explored through the lens of migration theories on time, temporality, and relational agency, particularly in relation to decision-making, forced displacement, and responses to crisis. Migration policies and critical events at multiple levels are examined as external forces that exert direct influence on migrants' lives and trajectories. The research is grounded in two phases of fieldwork conducted a decade apart, each during periods of significant social and economic upheaval. Focusing on the gendered dimensions of Ukrainian migration to Greece, the study engages with diverse migrant profiles: domestic workers in Greece and returnees or family members in Ukraine in the period between 2013–2014, and long-term migrants and refugees in Greece following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The central hypothesis posits a relationship between migrants’ intentions and various temporal and environmental factors that shape their decisions. A key question addressed is how macro-level drivers intersect migrants’ aspirations and agency in shaping individual migration choices. The methodological approach of this study is grounded in qualitative research, primarily employing a semi-structured interview guide and informed by life-course theory. This theoretical framework posits that individuals follow specific trajectories and undergo transitional periods and key turning points along non-linear life paths. The analysis of the interviews seeks to examine both objective and subjective factors that influence migrants’ decision-making throughout their life course, while also identifying features of resilience and perceptions of well-being. A central methodological challenge was to establish a unified conceptual framework encompassing diverse target groups, both forced and voluntary migrants at different stages of their migration journeys, studied across two distinct historical periods. This was addressed by using a consistent interview guide across both research phases, supplemented with additional themes tailored to the evolving socio-political context. While structural and temporal differences between the groups complicate direct comparisons, the study aims to identify common patterns as well as meaningful divergences that arise across different migration regimes. The comparative framework is not intended to generalise across fundamentally distinct experiences, but rather to illuminate how varying conditions of departure, reception, and integration shape migrant trajectories, underscoring the significance of historical, structural, and situational factors in the lived experiences of diverse migrant populations. The study draws on qualitative interview data collected during two fieldwork periods: (1) in 2013–2014 in both Greece and Ukraine, and (2) in 2022 in Athens. In the first phase, 32 interviews were conducted in Greece and 16 in Ukraine; in the second phase, 19 interviews were conducted in Athens. The primary objective of the analysis was to explore the characteristics and dynamics of resilience among Ukrainian women migrants to Greece, particularly in the context of prolonged exposure to multiple global and national crises. The qualitative analysis of the interviews aims not only to describe the impact of these crises but also to examine how, despite ongoing hardships, migrant women actively strive to improve their lives and foster a sense of normalcy for themselves and their families. The qualitative data were coded and analysed using MAXQDA software, with initial codes refined into broader categories and conceptual themes. This process led to the identification of five major themes. Given the long-term, evolving nature of migration experiences, life-course theory provided a suitable framework for understanding how individual decisions, critical events, and life transitions unfold over time and interact with shifting socio-economic conditions. This study offers a novel contribution by integrating assumptions of well-being within a life-course perspective and applying the theoretical lens of relational agency. It aims to advance both migration studies and life-course theory by proposing a temporally sensitive framework that complements the five stages of the migration cycle, enabling a deeper understanding of how external changes shape migrants’ choices and adaptive strategies. The study introduces a dual temporal model, “survival mode” (linear time) and “well-being mode” (circular time), which was derived from empirical observations of migrant women's lived experiences. This model helps to illuminate the transition toward a sense of safety, where caregiving routines, stable employment, and predictable schedules emerge as key factors in restoring emotional balance and reinforcing a coherent sense of self.