Just weeks after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, the British government mobilized to offer asylum to people fleeing the conflict. Now refugees struggle to find the high-quality jobs their qualifications deserve.
As the Russian-Ukrainian war enters its third year, visas being issued to the first arrivals are approaching just as the British labor market is cooling and general interest in helping Ukrainians is waning. “Everything has changed. We are not on the news anymore,” said Diana Kocheva, a refugee who leads a community of displaced Ukrainian tech workers in London.
The Ukrainian Family Scheme, which allowed Ukrainian nationals to join a relative in Britain for up to three years, closed to new applicants in February. An alternative program, titled Homes for Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme, is still ongoing. But extensions last only 18 months and Ukrainians can only apply for a new visa three months before the expiration date of their original visa, increasing uncertainty for job seekers.
