The full-scale war in Ukraine became a period not only of losses and forced migration, but also of long-term waiting for stability. Great Britain became one of the countries that provided shelter to tens of thousands of Ukrainians. Most of them arrived within the Homes for Ukraine or Ukraine Family Scheme programs. However, from 2025, the question becomes more and more clear: what next? The temporary residence permit issued to most Ukrainians is nearing its end. This means both a new round of legal uncertainty and significant psychological instability, especially for families with children.
The campaign demanding permanent status for Ukrainians: who and why is demanding change
During this time, many Ukrainian families took root in British life: children attended school, adults found work or entered universities. But it is the temporary nature of the visa that calls into question their ability to stay, let alone plan for the future. The lack of guarantees of permanent status affects housing, access to health care, the banking sector and education. This affects not only Ukrainians, but also British communities, where they have become a full-fledged part of social life. And at this point, a large-scale advocacy campaign began.
In 2025, 33 organizations, including OPORA, Settled, Birmingham for Ukraine, as well as academic structures — for example, the University of Birmingham team — united around the idea of granting Ukrainians the right to permanent residence. The campaign has a clearly defined goal: to achieve two things from the UK government. First, the extension of the Ukraine Permission Extension program for at least another 18 months. Secondly, the creation of a predictable and official path to permanent status (Indefinite Leave to Remain) for those Ukrainians who live, work, study and integrate into British society.
Activists say that without the political will of the British government, thousands of families are left in a situation where every decision – from choosing a school to signing a tenancy contract – becomes temporary and fragile. Advocacy activities include meetings with parliamentarians, publication of studies on the social and economic impact of Ukrainian communities in Britain, preparation of appeals and letter templates for voters.
EDM 1000: how the Ukrainian issue ended up in the British Parliament
One of the key tools of the campaign was the parliamentary appeal EDM 1000 — Early Day Motion number 1000, which became a symbol of the desire to transform support into concrete political actions. This is not a draft law, but an official petition of deputies to the government. Its essence is that the government should provide a clear mechanism for the transition of Ukrainians from temporary status to permanent residence.
As of July 2025, the document has already been supported by 116 members of parliament, and this number is growing. Although the EDM is not binding, it serves as a kind of marker of public and parliamentary demand. If the appeal gets enough support, the government will be forced to respond, which is the first step towards policy change.
Why sustainability is more important now than ever
The problem of uncertainty regarding the status daily results in real difficulties for Ukrainian families. People can’t rent a house without a long-term residence permit, face denials of study funding, can’t change jobs or open a bank account. In some cases, this leads to the loss of housing or the inability to complete education. Children who have already integrated into British schools are at risk of returning to a situation of uncertainty.
The organizers of the campaign insist that permanent status is not only about the protection of Ukrainians, but also about benefits for Britain. Ukrainians who work, pay taxes and study are already part of the British economy. By giving them stability, the government will only strengthen its system.
How to get involved
In today’s conditions, when the decision depends on political will, it is important that Ukrainians themselves and caring British people take part in the process. The EDM 1000 promotion campaign offers several practical steps that are accessible to anyone, regardless of their level of English or legal knowledge.
The first and key step is to find out who your MP is in the House of Commons. This can be done using an online service WriteToThem.com, where it is enough to enter your postal code (postcode). The service will automatically determine the electoral district and show the name representation of the deputy elected in your region. This contact has weight: every parliamentarian in Britain is interested in knowing what concerns the voters in his constituency.
Next, it is important to check whether this deputy has already supported Early Day Motion 1000, which calls on the government to develop a mechanism for granting Ukrainians the right to permanent residence. This can be done on the UK Parliament website or through the aforementioned WriteToThem — the service will show whether your MP’s name appears among the signatories. If not, the most important thing begins at this stage.
The third step is to write an appeal. Ready-made templates of letters in Ukrainian and English are available on the websites of organizations participating in the campaign, including OPORA, Settled and Birmingham for Ukraine. The templates clearly state the essence of the request: to support EDM 1000, explain why it is important right now and what it will do for the Ukrainian community and British society. However, the organizers strongly recommend – and this is confirmed by the experience of similar campaigns – to give preference to individual appeals, even if you use a ready-made template as a basis. A personally formulated letter, in which a person briefly describes his story, causes a much greater response and a chance to be heard.
A few tips for those writing a letter for the first time:
- In the first paragraph, indicate where you live and what exactly worries you. This will help identify you as a constituency voter.
2. In the second, explain why you think permanent status is important. If you have a child who is studying or working, remember this.
3. In the third – ask the MP to support EDM 1000 or explain his/her position if the signature is missing.
The WriteToThem service allows you to send an appeal directly by e-mail, without requiring any additional registration. At the same time, OPORA and Settled also offer options for printing letters for personal delivery during public meetings.
Participation in the campaign does not take much time, but every letter, every appeal adds weight to an initiative that can change the lives of thousands of people. This is a way to demonstrate that Ukrainians in Britain are not a temporary phenomenon, but a responsible part of the community, ready not only to exercise their rights, but also to form policies that correspond to the realities of 2025.
This campaign became an example of how the Ukrainian community in emigration is able to influence the political decisions of the host country not only through media publicity, but also through systematic legal and parliamentary work.
