The Impact of the Ukraine Crisis on Global Mobility

With No Return to Regional Peace and Stability in Sight, Mobility Industry Prepares for Long-Term Global Consequences

Register Here for Our March 24 Webinar with Public Policy Leaders to Hear the Latest

Two years after global mobility professionals moved mountains to ensure employees were protected from coronavirus while maintaining business operations, many in our community are providing around-the-clock assistance to expats and employees in Ukraine and Russia – both to those who are leaving and those staying behind to maintain operations.

While this is not the first time our members have been called to assist in a conflict, this crisis is unfolding in unprecedented ways – and at warp speed. Worldwide ERC public policy leaders will host a webinar on March 24 to provide further insights on the impact of the Ukraine crisis on the global mobility industry. Register here.

Topics we will cover include:

Impact on People

More than 3 million Ukrainians have sought shelter in neighboring states. Russian journalists and others are also fleeing their homes. Countries further away are also stepping up. The U.K. has lifted its cap on refugees from Ukraine and will provide funds to families housing those who have fled. The United States is providing temporary protected status for Ukrainians already here, and Canada is considering airlifts.

Impact on Current and Future Business Operations

Sanctions have led over 300 major companies to cease sales of products and services in Russia, and whether they will return is uncertain. Businesses fighting to remain open to provide necessities to the Russian people risk being nationalized; and we’ve all been warned to prepare for cyberattacks.

Twelve percent of the world’s food comes from Russia and Ukraine. As exports of wheat and fertilizer slow, we all see rising grocery prices and many risk food insecurity. Other supply chain issues include decreased freight capacity, rising gas prices, and threatened access to minerals.

And Russians, who accounted for 0.8 percent of all foreign buyers purchasing U.S. residential property from April 2015 through March 2021, are now looking to quietly move real estate in hotspots like New York, Florida, and California as well as around the globe.

We will cover these topics and more on the March 24 webinar. Please register now to participate.

Worldwide ERC® Ukraine Resource Center

In the early days of the Ukraine Crisis, many NGOs and Worldwide ERC® members who are actively assisting clients in the region, such as Fragomen and Xpath.Global, began to provide briefings to the mobility community at large. We have passed along this information to Worldwide ERC members as timing allowed.

As the crisis continues to escalate and it becomes clear the impact will be broad and enduring, many Worldwide ERC® members are establishing programs and services that will serve the longer-term needs around the issue. Examples include Newland Chase’s Ukraine-Russia resource center and Benivo’s offer to provide instant fund transfers to the region to anyone who needs help in this regard.

Worldwide ERC® is establishing a dedicated page to serve as a clearinghouse for the expertise and generosity of these industry leaders. If you are developing programs and resources around the Ukraine-Russia Crisis, please reach out to us and let us know. You may indicate on the Impact of the Ukraine Crisis on Global Mobility webinar registration page or reach out directly to Mike Moran on staff.