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New Straits Times
16 hours ago
- Politics
- New Straits Times
Ukrainian visa schemes in UK leave refugees in limbo
After fleeing Ukraine with her newborn and toddler in 2022, Lidiia rebuilt her life in Britain. But now, the 36-year-old fears she will have to return next year because there is no easy way to get the right to permanently stay in her new home. With the Russian invasion into its third year and little sign of peace, Lidiia, who asked to use a pseudonym to protect her privacy, is terrified for her children. "Even if there's a ceasefire... I will have in my mind that in five, six years, (the Russians) are going to be back," she said. "And then my son will have to be a soldier. My daughter might be killed or raped." Like most of the 218,000 Ukrainians who came to Britain on special visas from 2022, Lidiia is running out of time — her original visa is expiring and though she is applying for an extension, that too will run out after 18 months. Although nearly 70 per cent of Ukrainians in Britain want to stay, based on a 2024 Office for National Statistics (ONS) survey, without legal status, many say they will have no choice but to head elsewhere or return to their war-ravaged homeland. With Ukraine urging citizens to come back and Britain offering no permanent resettlement process, Lidiia feels trapped. "I want to stay in the UK, 100 per cent. If the UK doesn't want us to stay, I will go back to Ukraine and just hope that we'll survive. There is no other choice," the charity worker said. Britain has two visa schemes for Ukrainian refugees: one for those with family already in the UK — a route now closed — and the Homes for Ukraine sponsorship scheme that allows Britons to offer accommodation to those fleeing the war. In February, the government opened an 18-month Ukrainian Protection Extension visa to those whose initial three-year visas are due to expire this year. But none of these schemes offers permanent stays. Ukrainian support charity Opora said Ukrainians should have the choice to resettle in Britain and could help rebuild Ukraine from afar by, for example, sending remittances. "Ukraine will need people going back to rebuild, of course, but closing off options and thereby forcing people to go back will not build a happy cohort of returnees. So give people a choice," managing director Stan Beneš said. In early June, the European Commission proposed extending temporary protection for around 4.26 million Ukrainian refugees in the European Union until March 2027. It also recommended member states start transitioning those who want to stay to other legal statuses, such as offering work permits and student visas. Settled, a charity supporting EU citizens and Ukrainians in Britain, urged London to follow suit and increase the extension visa duration to 36 months from 18, and also offer resettlement possibilities, as is the case for Afghans and Hong Kongers. "Ukrainians should be given a path to settlement. We have children who have been born and are growing up in the UK. English is their first language," said Yuliia Ismail, an immigration adviser at Settled. In the first quarter of this year, there were nearly 380 asylum claims by Ukrainians, compared with 570 last year and around 100 in 2023, according to official data. "This uncertainty pushes people to the asylum system," Ismail said. Even with an 18-month visa extension, many Ukrainians are unable to secure rental accommodation or work because of uncertainty over their status, charities say. More than a third of Ukrainians surveyed by the ONS last year said they were looking for work, and only a third said they were working in the same sector as they did in Ukraine. A February report by the British Red Cross said without jobs, many Ukrainians were unable to rent properties and were more than twice as likely to be homeless than the general population. Maria, a 40-year-old single mum from Kyiv living in Scotland, said she could not find teaching work despite retraining to get local qualifications and applying for around 100 jobs.
Russia Today
19-02-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
‘Capitulation' and ‘betrayal': Ukrainian officials and media blast Trump over Russia talks
Ukrainian politicians and media have reacted with outrage and indignation following the talks between Russia and the US in Saudi Arabia this week. The response has ranged from accusing US President Donald Trump of 'capitulating' to Russian President Vladimir Putin and 'betraying' Ukraine, to blaming the EU for the developments. As a result of Tuesday's talks in Riyadh – from which Ukraine and the EU were excluded – top Russian and US officials agreed to pave the way for the restoration of bilateral ties. They also agreed to work towards resolving the Ukraine conflict and to arrange a summit between Trump and Putin. Both countries praised the talks as highly productive. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov noted that the sides 'not only listened, but also heard each other,' adding that the US was beginning to better understand Russia's position. Following the talks, Trump said he was 'very disappointed' in Ukraine's failure to resolve the conflict on its own, while suggesting that Kiev should contemplate holding elections. Ukraine's Vladimir Zelensky, whose presidential term expired last May, has refused to hold a vote, citing martial law, with Russia considering him an 'illegitimate' leader. The renewed engagement between Russia and the US sent shockwaves throughout Ukraine, with officials and media alike venting frustration. Zelensky was the most notable voice in this regard, describing the talks as 'disreputable,' rebuking the US for 'helping Putin get out of years of isolation' and treating Russia as 'a victim.' The Ukrainian leader also dismissed Trump's claim that he has only a 4% approval rating, citing a recent poll that put his public support at 57%. 'If someone wants to replace me – you can't do that right now,' he suggested. Mikhail Podoliak, a top aide to Zelensky, suggested that the Riyadh talks mean that 'international law no longer exists,' and that the overall Western approach is now 'peace through weakness.' Ukrainian lawmaker Mariana Bezuglaya lashed out directly at Trump, advising him to 'follow the Russian ship,' a reference to an alleged incident early in the conflict when Ukrainian soldiers told a Russian naval vessel to 'f**k off.' Olga Aivazovskaya, the chair of the charity Opora, remarked that 'America is great when it is the leader of the West, not the executor of Russian whims.' The Ukrainian outlet Liga did not mince its words as it denounced Trump for what it called 'a shameful capitulation to Russia,' 'an outright betrayal of Ukraine,' and 'appeasement of Putin.' The talks are 'a clear warning to the world that the US under Trump is no longer a defender of democracy, but an ally of a terrorist state,' the outlet claimed. Alexandr Motyl, professor of political science at Rutgers University, told Novaya Niva that the talks amounted to a 'betrayal,' but claimed that the situation also stemmed from 'the lack of a plan [and] preparation' on the part of the Trump administration. The same outlet also described the negotiations as 'yet another blow to Ukraine,' and accused Trump of lying about Zelensky's approval rating while pointing out that the US leader 'did not say a single critical word about Putin.' Meanwhile, the news outlet characterized the talks as a 'turning point for the situation around Ukraine,' acknowledging that many observers fear that Zelensky could be 'dumped.' The Eurointegration outlet, however, placed the blame for Ukraine's current problems on Kiev's backers in the EU, stating that while 'European leaders knew that Vladimir Putin in the East and Donald Trump in the West was a strategically nightmare scenario, they have done almost nothing to achieve greater political unity and strengthen defense capabilities in anticipation of just such a development.' 'From now on, Russia, not the EU, will be the main partner of the United States,' it suggested.
