Ukrainians who could be forced to leave West Midlands sanctuary reveal fears for the future

A number of anxious families met with West Midlands Mayor Richard Parker and told him they have been trying to rebuild their lives but now face uncertainty as their temporary visa near the expiry date.

Many of the people, who fled Ukraine in the wake of Russia’s invasion in February 2022, said they have nowhere to go back to in their homeland.

Mr Parker said he has written to the Government urging them to “show strong leadership” and take decisive action to bring them peace of mind.

Primary school teacher Alisa Chernenko escaped her occupied home town of Polohy in the Zaporizhzhia region with her 13-year-old daughter.

Unable to get a job in Birmingham schools, she won’t be able to get a place to rent and her agreement with her host family will end soon.

She said: “We have nowhere to return to in Ukraine. But in the UK, due to our temporary status, we also see no stable future.

“This is why it is crucial for Ukrainians to receive a reliable residency status in the UK and retain social benefits that allow us not just to survive but to build a dignified life.

“We are deeply grateful to this country and its people for their support over the past three years.

“And we sincerely hope that soon, we won’t just have to fight for survival—we will have the chance to truly live in the UK.”

Kateryna also fled the Zaporizhzhia region with her eight and nine-year-old children.

The 49-year-old said: “Now I’m here, in Britain, rebuilding my life. However, the situation with the temporary status of Ukrainians is undermining my stability.

“Due to the lack of any long-lasting status in England, I cannot get a job, and in general, I have to think again about where I will end up in a year and a half and in which other country I will have to start everything from scratch.

“It is very difficult to live in anticipation. I want to live and be confident in tomorrow.”

And single mother-of-two Olesya, aged 46, added: “The kindness of the British people gave us hope. We were welcomed here by people who became our family.

“This kindness gave us the chance to start again, to rebuild our lives, and for a moment, we felt secure.

“I did everything I could to help my children forget the challenges of war we had faced and to help them feel safe and normal in their lives.

“If you ask them where their home is, it will be here, in Birmingham.

“Unfortunately, the current situation with our status in the UK forces me to lie to my children again when they ask about the future or making plans.

“I tell them everything will be okay, but that’s not true, as we could be forced to go to nowhere at any moment.

“Even though I’m very grateful to the people who have helped us, it feels like our lives don’t truly matter.

“All the years we’ve spent here didn’t count, and it feels like we haven’t really been living at all. It’s as if we’re not truly alive. We don’t exist.”