DOI: 10.11118/978-80-7701-082-5-0114

The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic and the RussianUkrainian War on Cross-Border Mobility between Slovakia and Ukraine (2020–2023)

Daniel Kamenský ORCID...¹

¹ Institute of Political Sciences, Faculty of Arts, University of Prešov, 17. novembra 1, 080 01 Prešov, Slovak Republic

This paper examines the profound impact of two consecutive crises – the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russian–Ukrainian war – on cross-border mobility at the external border of the European Union (EU) with Ukraine, with a particular focus on Slovakia. During the pandemic (2020–2021), mobility collapsed due to unprecedented border closures and restrictions on movement, leading to a decline of more than 70% in cross-border flows across the EU's eastern frontier. This had severe social and economic consequences for borderland communities that depended on daily mobility for work, trade, and family ties. By contrast, following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the same borders witnessed the opposite dynamic: a sudden and massive inflow of refugees, with more than 6 million entries recorded in Poland and over 2.7 million in Slovakia by the end of 2022 (UNHCR, 2023; Eurostat, 2023). Within weeks, borders that had functioned as securitised barriers during the pandemic were redefined as humanitarian gateways, demonstrating the extraordinary flexibility of border regimes under conditions of crisis. The study employs a descriptive comparative analysis drawing on quantitative data from UNHCR, Eurostat, Frontex, the European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA), and national statistical offices. By systematically comparing mobility patterns during the pandemic and the war, the paper highlights how external borders can shift from restrictive to permissive regimes within short periods of time. The Slovak–Ukrainian border is used as a detailed case study due to its dual role as both a transit and destination space, while comparative insights are provided from Poland, Hungary, and Romania. Graphs and tables visualise these shifts, showing both the dramatic collapse of border crossings in 2020–2021 and the unprecedented refugee flows in 2022–2023. The findings demonstrate not only the dual nature of borders under crisis conditions but also their broader governance implications. While pandemic-related restrictions exposed the fragility of free movement within the Schengen Area and revealed tendencies towards “health nationalism,” the war revealed both the capacity and limitations of EU solidarity mechanisms, including the activation of the Temporary Protection Directive. These experiences underline the importance of local border communities and multi-level governance in managing crises. The paper concludes that understanding the dual transformation of borders – as both spaces of restriction and solidarity – is essential for shaping resilient migration governance, strengthening cross-border cooperation, and safeguarding the principles of European integration in the face of future shocks.

Klíčová slova: Cross-Border Mobility, COVID-19 Pandemic, Russian–Ukrainian War, Refugee Flows, European Union External Borders, Slovakia–Ukraine Border, Migration Governance, Temporary Protection Directive

stránky: 114-123, online: 2026