Ukraine considers recruiting Filipino medical workers

Ukraine is exploring the possibility of recruiting Filipino medical workers as the country anticipates potential shortages of qualified personnel due to the ongoing war, according to Ukraine’s Ambassador to the Philippines Yuliia Fediv. "Filipinos are renowned for their exceptional medical skills in nations such as Poland, Hungary, and the Czech Republic, but integrating them into Ukrainian medical institutions may take considerable time due to the need for language training and professional preparation," Fediv explained in an interview with hromadske.

Although this is a long-term strategy, the Federation of Employers in Ukraine shows interest in potentially hiring Filipino workers for specific professions in sectors that may struggle to find enough domestic specialists due to the war, as Fediv emphasized. The Philippines is a significant source of migrant labor, with approximately 11 million Filipinos working abroad, and the country has a dedicated agency to manage and oversee labor migration.

European Union embassies in the Philippines actively negotiate agreements to bring Filipino labor migrants into their labor markets. Countries like Slovenia, Hungary, and Poland have already welcomed thousands of Filipino migrant workers, while France, Germany, the United Kingdom, and Scandinavian nations have been attracting these workers for years.

Fediv noted that understanding the competition for Filipino migrant workers is crucial. Currently, Filipinos are unable to travel to Ukraine for employment due to security concerns, as the Philippine Foreign Ministry has barred its citizens from entering Ukraine. During the 2022 evacuation of Filipinos from Ukraine, about 30 Filipinos remained in the country, working for international organizations.

Deputy Economy Minister Daria Marchak previously stated that there is little basis for speculation about a sudden influx of foreign workers into Ukraine.