Refugees have become the main target for manipulation and conflict - study
Kyiv • UNN
Monitoring by the NGO CAT-UA revealed that the topic of Ukrainians leaving the country is the deepest line of social division, actively used for manipulation. The discussion around refugees is one of the most emotional and conflict-ridden, with a high level of hate speech.
The issue of Ukrainians leaving the country has become the deepest line of social division and is actively used for manipulation and inciting conflicts. This is evidenced by the results of a monitoring conducted by the NGO CAT-UA (Communication Analysis Team - Ukraine), commissioned by the NGO "Internews-Ukraine," as reported by UNN.
Details
The study covered an analysis of at least 350 of the most popular social media posts on eight resonant topics of 2025. According to analysts, the discussion around refugees was one of the most emotional and conflict-ridden – with mutual insults and a high level of hate speech.
As noted by CAT-UA, the overall level of hatred towards social groups has significantly decreased compared to 2022, but refugees remain the only group for whom aggressive rhetoric is virtually tolerated in the public space.
In Ukraine today, it is unacceptable to hate residents of different regions or language groups – social condemnation quickly follows. But regarding refugees, hate speech is still considered permissible.
According to the study, the topic of refugees is actively used as a tool for political struggle – in particular, to criticize the authorities, which exacerbates tensions between those who left and those who remained in Ukraine. The presence of pro-Russian accounts is also recorded in discussions, attempting to fuel conflicts and mutual accusations.
Konstantin Kourt, Chairman of the Board of the NGO "Internews-Ukraine," emphasized that such studies help to understand critical points of tension in society and counteract their artificial exacerbation.
Only a society that is aware of its own differences can overcome them and not allow the enemy to use them against us.
The authors of the study recommend focusing on overcoming the division between those who went abroad and those who remained, as well as forming unifying narratives and openly discussing Russia's attempts to destabilize Ukrainian society through information campaigns.
Recall
The Czech Republic received 11.7 billion CZK (482.6 million euros) from the work of Ukrainian refugees. This exceeded state spending on humanitarian aid, which amounted to 32 billion CZK (1.336 billion euros) over four years.