Feeling Secure in Another Country: The Case of Ukrainian War Refugees in Romania

Migrants and refugees face several challenges in their countries of residence. One of these refers to personal security that previous research outlined as being critical in the process of integration. While many studies covered the issues associated with personal security and the extent to which these can produce consequences for migrants and refugees, we know relatively little about what makes them feel insecure in their countries of residence. This paper seeks to address this gap in the literature and analyses the determinants of perceptions about personal security among the Ukrainian war refugees in Romania. It uses data from semi-structured interviews conducted with 50 people who left their country after the start of the 2022 war in Ukraine. Our thematic analysis indicates that the levels of personal security are associated with the refugees’ expectations, the behaviour of locals and the obstacles raised by state institutions including in the process of documentation.