Ukrainian refugees in the UK face loss of jobs and housing due to the expiration of their visas

Ukrainian refugees in the UK are facing massive difficulties in extending their tenancy and keeping a job due to the expiry of their visas. In many cases, they have already been denied lease renewals, and employers are temporarily suspending them from work pending a decision on whether to renew their visa status. The reason for this is the fear of British landlords and employers in front of significant fines and even criminal liability for violating immigration laws.

According to the information published The Guardia, the new mechanism of the Home Office of Great Britain leaves Ukrainian refugees with only two months to prove their right to live and work in the country. It is this time limitation that already leads to them losing their jobs and housing.

Ukrainians whose visas are expiring are denied a lease renewal due to the uncertainty of their status. Some refugees have been notified by their employers that they are temporarily suspended from work until they receive updated documents. Because of the fear of punishment, landlords and employers overinsure themselves, even if the likelihood of legal problems is minimal.

Human rights activists call on the British government to automate the procedure for extending visas for Ukrainians. They warn that the Home Office may not be able to cope with the influx of tens of thousands of applications after the visa window opens on February 4, 2025. The procedure will last until June 2025, since it was during this period of 2022 that the country accepted the largest number of Ukrainian refugees.

Simona Shechtman, head of the Birmingham for Ukraine group, emphasizes that this procedure in its current format creates significant difficulties for Ukrainians. According to her, she constantly works with families, mostly women with children, who fled the war, leaving their husbands in Ukraine. She considers the situation unacceptable, since in most EU countries the extension of temporary protection for Ukrainians is automatic and is already guaranteed until the spring of 2026.

Another important problem, according to Shechtman, is that many Ukrainians want their period of residence in Great Britain to be taken into account when considering an application for citizenship. This is in line with the practice of other European countries, where refugees can apply for naturalization after several years of residence.

“No one can consider 4.5 years as a temporary term. People have already taken root in British society, are receiving higher education, their children, who came here at the age of two, are now more connected to Britain than to Ukraine,” – she explains.

Professor Sarah Jones of the University of Birmingham notes that the vast majority of Ukrainian refugees are likely to receive visa extensions and 3C leave status, which allows them to stay in Great Britain while waiting for a decision. However, the process itself can take up to two months, and the mechanism for confirming status during this period remains unclear.

In her opinion, the complexity of the application form is another big obstacle for Ukrainians who speak English as a foreign language. The warning that completing an application outside the 28-day window could result in it being rejected is causing further concern among refugees.

The head of the Association of Ukrainians in Great Britain Petro Revko adds that for Ukrainians the third anniversary of the war is an extremely difficult emotional period. He believes that the British authorities should have launched the visa extension mechanism earlier because the current situation has caused chaos, panic and rumours.

According to him, fraudsters have already appeared who offer Ukrainians accelerated processing of documents for thousands of pounds.

Olga Meglinska, head of the Brama Trust, an organization that helps Ukrainian refugees in Solihull, reports that many Ukrainians are already facing difficulties in renewing their leases.

“At our support groups, I see people starting to break down. Post-traumatic stress disorder cases are rising again. The warm and welcoming atmosphere that helped Ukrainians recover after fleeing the country is disappearing, and the uncertainty of the future is opening old wounds.” – she emphasizes.

Mila, a Ukrainian refugee from Kharkiv, says that she cannot find a new home due to uncertainty with her visa, and her landlord has decided to sell the apartment.

“When we first arrived, my children were sleeping on the floor. It was a scary time. I don’t want my daughter to go through that again.” she says.

Nataliya Kogut, who arrived from Kyiv in 2022, is also unable to extend her lease because her landlord requires guarantees regarding her visa status for the entire next year.

“I’ve been looking for this home for months, and now I have to lose it because of an unstable and unfair system.” – she is indignant.

Kohut also criticizes the government’s decision to cancel the possibility of transitioning from a humanitarian visa to permanent residence.

“I want to build my life here. I have almost nothing left in Ukraine. Three years is too long to live in a state of uncertainty.” – she explains.

Pedram Panbehchi, an engineer who came from Kyiv with his wife in 2023, says that their company will stop their temporary employment until their visa status is renewed. This means they could be out of work for up to eight weeks and risk losing their home a second time.

“We are considering the possibility of moving to another country, because there are too many bureaucratic obstacles in Great Britain. I am even thinking about returning to Ukraine,” – he adds.

According to Jenny Walton, head of the Refugee Employment Network, Ukrainians are often highly qualified, but their experience is not recognized in the UK.

Jen Stobart, director of TENT UK, notes that many employers unknowingly screen out Ukrainians, for example, due to gaps in their resumes or lack of adaptation programs.

Ukrainian HR consultant Daria Petrakovska could not find a job in her specialty, as British employment centers direct her to less qualified positions. She emphasizes that in Ukraine she used a professional network, which she does not have in Great Britain, which makes it much more difficult to find a job.