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host of ukrainian Refugees say they Faced with “endless bureaucracy” and “terrible” support from the Home Office thousands of people left in limbo after more than three years RussiaAttack on the country.
For Juliet Grover, the daughter of a Jewish refugee who escaped the Nazis, the decision to host was a personal one. He signed up for ‘Homes for’ ukraine‘Planning as soon as the war started in February 2022, strongly believing that it was important to provide refuge to those in need.
Yet she is quick to say that she was struck by the difficulties host families face, with little information and advice provided by the UK government.
“The first people to arrive were a woman and her two young children who had applied for a visa,” he said. Independent“She was stuck in a refugee center in Poland, it took us four months to organize a visa, it was horrific.
“I was making rounds on the phone every day, I went to meet MPs and the government but we were completely blocked. We managed to get visas for him and his daughter, but His son’s visa was not issued Which meant they couldn’t travel for months.”
In her desperation, she drove from Wales to Sheffield to try to speak to someone at the Home Office, but was refused entry at reception.
With the help of Ms Grover, the mother, named Lena, was eventually able to come to the UK with her four- and five-year-old son and daughter. Ms Grover spent hours registering them with schools, GPs, local authorities and National Insurance.
“Thankfully I’m a housewife and I’ve had time to go through these things, but I didn’t understand any of it. I never had to go to the council or sort out the right to work code, you don’t get any chance to talk to a single person if you ask for help.”
One of the many problems faced by Ukrainian refugees is the lack of available translation services, including information sheets to assist their situation that are often only provided in English.
After Russian forces invaded eastern Ukraine three and a half years ago, Lena packed a small bag, picked up her two children and fled her hometown of Dnipro.
Despite her previous job working in a bank, she is now a cleaner, while her husband, who joined her eight months later, works in a Lidl because he cannot work as an engineer in the UK.
“They are strong, good people,” Ms. Grover said. “I have now been involved in helping 20 of them, and there is not one who has not got a job within a fortnight.”
Last November, Lena’s elderly parents also traveled to the UK and are now staying with Ms Grover. Despite being a retired doctor and teacher, he is not eligible for retirement here and now regularly visits jobcentres looking for odd jobs.
Ms Grover said: “I’m not allowed to sit inside with them, and they can’t speak a word of English. They don’t know the culture or the language, they’re fish out of water and they’re completely lost,” she said. Just last week, he was informed that his home had been destroyed by the Russian attack.
They are one of 300,000 Ukrainians now living in the UK on a temporary visa, after former Home Secretary Yvette Cooper announced earlier this month that it could be extended for 24 months.
However, the process of renewing a visa has been painful, with only 28 days to complete this complex process, and an eight-week waiting time that puts their jobs and housing at risk.
Ms Grover said, “We spent weeks trying to do it and when the visas were finally renewed, Leena and her daughter came but again her son disappeared. How does this happen? It was just lost in the abyss.”
Many Ukrainians struggle to find accommodation in the private rented sector, as they require deposits, while others struggle to find UK guarantors and negotiate with landlords due to the language barrier.
Last year, a report by the British Red Cross found that the breakdown Hosting arrangements often do not occur due to a lack of adequate training and ongoing support for hosts, as well as living pressures.
Luke Piper, head of immigration at The Work Rights Centre, said: “Disappointingly, Lena’s family’s experience is absolutely in line with what we have been seeing among our clients since the start of the Ukraine permission extension scheme, which requires Ukrainians to apply to extend their stay. We are also seeing technical problems proving the right to work and the right to stay for Ukrainians. Make it difficult.
“Whenever the government changes visa rules or implements a new scheme, we get a surge in calls from confused and panicked people trying to figure out what this means for them.
“This ongoing uncertainty is taking a psychological toll on many Ukrainians in the UK and is hindering their ability to pursue their careers or lay down roots. Some families have now been in the UK for almost four years, with the visa extension this number will rise to six. With no signs of the war in Ukraine slowing down, now is the time for ministers to support settlement for Ukrainians seeking to rebuild their lives in the UK “Rethink the paths of.”
A government spokesperson said: “We thank all the hosts and sponsors who have made invaluable contributions to our Ukraine plans. A range of guidance is available on the government website, as well as through the voluntary and community sector and local authorities, to support them.
“Government guidance for Ukrainians intending to apply for the extension scheme is available in Ukrainian and Russian.”