What happens to the accumulated professional and civic capital of Belarusians aged 45+ after forced migration
Forced migration has created a sizeable group of people aged 45+ who left Belarus with substantial professional, managerial, social and civic capital already accumulated
Many were at the peak or in the latter half of their careers.
After relocation, this knowledge, skills and experience do not disappear. But they cannot always be fully translated into a new professional and social position.
A person may continue working in their field yet lose status and the scale of their work; retain expertise but lack economic stability; find a new job but use only part of their accumulated skills.
Kantrapunkt examines which mechanisms enable or prevent people in the middle and later stages of their working lives from using the capital they accumulated before migration in a new context — and how they themselves assess the outcomes of this transformation.
45+ is more than an age category. It is a stage of life in which people often possess substantial accumulated professional capital: years of experience, specialization, reputation, professional networks, managerial skills and the ability to work autonomously
But a break in a career trajectory at this age comes at a different cost. Retraining and certification, re-entering a profession at entry level, mastering professional language, and building new networks all require time and resources.
Accordingly, the study does not assume that all migration-related barriers are specific to people aged 45+. Instead, it examines how age changes the weight and consequences of these barriers, as well as the possibilities for rebuilding a career trajectory.
Four perspectives that capture not only formal employment, but the actual extent to which people are able to realize their professional potential
Which parts of professional knowledge, skills, status, social and professional networks, and civic experience can be transferred to a new context — and which prove difficult to convert into a new professional and social position
How institutional, language, professional and network barriers, uncertainty about the future, and the consequences of forced migration operate — and which of these factors become especially significant after age 45.
What strategies emerge after a migration-related rupture: continuing professional activity in new forms, reframing accumulated experience, changing careers, deskilling, or a temporarily stalled career.
How people themselves assess their post-migration career trajectory: what they regard as losses and gains, how much of their accumulated knowledge and experience they are able to use, and whether they see opportunities for further development. This allows us to avoid defining “success” solely from the outside.
A new position that appears to involve a loss of status may not be experienced that way by the individual — and conversely, adaptation that looks successful from the outside may coexist with a sense of unrealized professional potential.
A pilot qualitative study of the professional and life trajectories of Belarusians aged 45+ living in forced migration in Poland
During the first stage, we conducted in-depth biographical interviews, focusing on professional experience before migration, changes after relocation, opportunities to transfer accumulated skills, adaptation strategies, the role of professional and civic networks, and experiences of age and ageism
26 August 2026 Kantrapunkt held a closed expert briefing, “45+ in forced migration: what happens to accumulated professional capital?”. Preliminary findings from the study were discussed with experts working on migration, employment, education, media, and civil society.
The expert discussion made it possible to critically test the research framework, refine the concept of underutilized professional capital, and formulate new questions for the next stage.
The study is currently at the focus-group stage with Belarusians aged 45+. Its purpose is to test and refine the observations obtained through the biographical interviews and expert discussion.
Following completion of the empirical phase and analysis of the materials, we will prepare a research brief. The pilot study will also provide the basis for developing a larger-scale research project.
Three research roles and a collaborative approach to data analysis and final outputs
Development of the research concept and analytical framework, biographical interviews, lead analysis of empirical materials, preparation of the research brief
Development, organization and moderation of the focus group, preliminary analysis of its materials, and contribution to the overall analysis.
Review of the literature and previous research, systematization and coding of empirical materials, and contribution to the analysis of findings.
Underutilized human capital is not only a matter of individual adaptation
When people with twenty or thirty years of professional, managerial and civic experience can use only part of their accumulated knowledge and skills after forced migration, the loss is not theirs alone. Part of that potential is also lost by the Belarusian community in exile and the host society .
At the same time, people’s strong capacity to rebuild their lives independently can make the problem less visible. A person may be working, creating projects, consulting, running a business, or continuing professional activity — but this does not necessarily mean that their accumulated capital is being fully used.
That is why Kantrapunkt proposes reframing the question:
Not only “how can we help people aged 45+ adapt?”, but also “what human capital is already present in the country — and what prevents it from being used more fully?”
The issue of underutilized human capital among Belarusians aged 45+ emerged before the current research project
In 2025, the topic took practical form through joint work by Iryna Sidorskaya and Andrey Ezerin: two meetings were held in Vilnius with support from the Red Cross, focusing on rebuilding professional and personal lives after forced migration.
In 2026, Kantrapunkt developed this issue into a pilot qualitative study carried out by a new research team.
The challenge of rebuilding professional and personal lives among Belarusians aged 45+ after forced migration entered public discussion before the current study began. In 2025, the topic was covered by Belarusian and international media in connection with an earlier stage of work by Iryna Sidorskaya and Andrey Ezerin.
These materials are not publications based on the findings of the current study , but they show how the issue of underutilized human capital among people aged 45+ entered the public agenda.
