Panel X, titled “The Reintegration of Internally Displaced Persons, Refugees, and Veterans into Civilian Life,” moderated by Mr. Răzvan Mătieș, European affairs expert, brought together Ms. Iryna Nykorak, Chair of the Subcommittee for the Rehabilitation of Veterans in the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine; Ms. Mariia Korolchuk, leader of the Ukrainian diaspora in Romania; Mr. Adam Eberhardt, Deputy Director of the Centre for Eastern Studies at the University of Warsaw; and Ms. Khrystyna Dudashvili, Director of the Recovery Camp Foundation in the Lviv region.

The panel’s discussions emphasized a shared insight: reintegration was not merely an administrative process of “returning to normal,” but a critical element of Ukraine’s national security and a significant test of societal resilience across Central and Eastern Europe. Speakers noted that reintegration began long before the physical return of civilians or veterans, involving psychological transition, skill adaptation, recognition of qualifications, and the capacity of states and local communities to absorb large and heterogeneous populations rapidly. It was highlighted that millions of internally displaced persons and hundreds of thousands of veterans in Ukraine required coherent, accessible, and predictable services — ranging from documentation and economic support to reskilling programs, mentorship, mental health care, and stigma-free professional integration.

The panel also underscored the social tensions generated by migration across the region: the challenges faced by returning refugees, the sometimes-hostile perceptions of those who remained in the country, pressures on children re-entering the Ukrainian education system, and the difficulties encountered by host states in supporting large, diverse communities. Experts argued that these issues could be addressed through coordinated European policies, sustained investment in reintegration services, combating disinformation, and the creation of regional cooperation platforms dedicated to veterans and displaced persons. Overall, the panel concluded that reintegration was not only a social undertaking but a fundamental stage in Ukraine’s post-war reconstruction and in strengthening European stability.