• Register
  • Login
    • flag  Język Polski flag  English
    Published: 2026-06-06
    Vol. 47 No. 1 (2026)

    Entering Adulthood in the Context of Emigration – Experiences of Ukrainian Youth: Findings from a Focus Group Study in Olsztyn and Kraków

    Elżbieta Subocz Profil ORCID autora Elżbieta Subocz , Magdalena Sternicka-Kowalska Profil ORCID autora Magdalena Sternicka-Kowalska
    Seminare. Learned Investigations
    Section: Articles
    DOI https://doi.org/10.21852/sem.1885

    Abstract

    The article discusses migration to Poland after the outbreak of the full-scale war in Ukraine and the assistance offered to Ukrainian migrants, in particular children and adolescents. The results of the study were analyzed in the second part of the article. The empirical data for the analysis comprise selected findings from focus group interviews conducted in 2024 in Olsztyn and Kraków. The interviews involved 22 young Ukrainian migrants aged 16-19. The research focused on their education, professional activity, housing situation, and interpersonal relationships. The interviews revealed that language was the key barrier to the integration of young migrants residing in both Polish cities. Young Ukrainians living in Olsztyn adopted a strategy of survival and pursuing professional activity, whereas those residing in Kraków were oriented toward personal development and education. The problems experienced by the interviewed Ukrainian migrants were typical of young adults and concerned employers’ reluctance to hire minors, lack of job opportunities matching the candidates’ qualifications, and difficulties in the housing rental market. The participants declared that they maintained contact with other Ukrainians living in Poland. Many of the interviewed migrants also had Polish friends, but differences in mentality were identified as a key obstacle to forming closer relations with Polish peers. The respondents reported experiences of unfair treatment or discrimination based on nationality only sporadically.

    Keywords:

    youth, migrants, Ukraine, entering adulthood

    Download files

    Citation rules

    Subocz, E., & Sternicka-Kowalska, M. (2026). Entering Adulthood in the Context of Emigration – Experiences of Ukrainian Youth: Findings from a Focus Group Study in Olsztyn and Kraków. Seminare. Learned Investigations, 47(1). https://doi.org/10.21852/sem.1885

    Cited by / Share

    Licence


    This website uses cookies for proper operation, in order to use the portal fully you must accept cookies.