‘Pathways to citizenship’ should enable young Ukrainians to stay in UK

Most young Ukrainians living in the UK on temporary visas want to stay in the UK and contribute to its economy and culture, new research shows. 

This week (8 December 2024) marks 1,000 days since the first displaced Ukrainians applied for leave to stay in the UK under either the Ukraine Family Scheme, or the Ukrainian Sponsorship Scheme. Since this time more than 200,000 Ukrainians have arrived in the UK, with young people comprising a large share of the arrivals. 

A new report, Young Ukrainians in the UK: Lives in Limbo, produced by experts at the University of Birmingham and community researchers from Ukraine, calls for the Government to create pathways to citizenship for Ukrainians that will allow them to stay after their visas have expired. 

The report is based on research carried out across the West Midlands. The team conducted in-depth interviews with 30 individuals to find out about their experiences of living with host families, finding longer term accommodation, access to education and employment. 

The uncertainty of the legal status to stay in the UK is the most pressing issue for displaced Ukrainians. Ukrainians who arrived in the UK after the start of the full-scale invasion can prolong their visa for another 18 months in 2025. However, this visa does not provide pathways for indefinite leave to remain or citizenship. Such uncertainty regarding legal status already creates barriers in securing permanent jobs, renting accommodation, and impacts people’s well-being as they feel themselves in limbo. 

Co-researcher, Dr Irina Kuznetsova said: “Many young Ukrainians who arrived in the UK since 2022 have left school, started in higher education or have begun working and are trying to build their lives in the UK. They are doing this despite challenges from forced displacement, war trauma, and adapting to a new country. We need to support this population by putting in place pathways to citizenship and ensuring Ukrainian communities have access to information and support that will enable individuals to plan for their futures.” 

The researchers also looked at other aspects of life in the UK for young Ukrainians, such as schooling, housing, employment, and access to healthcare. Their recommendations included: 

• Launch an awareness campaign to attract more hosts for displaced Ukrainians  

• Put statutory measures in place to ensure schooling is accessible and prioritised for Ukrainians and other children with forced displacement experience. 

• Develop resources that are tailored to the curriculum and provide a de-colonial view of the history of the Russian empire and the USSR.   

• Provide guidance in accessing higher level qualifications for Ukrainians and improve processes for UK recognition of Ukrainian qualifications. 

• Raise awareness and sensitivity among employees about the experiences of formerly displaced young workers, whose experiences may be different from those of British youth 

• Provide training and employment opportunities for Ukrainian-speaking mental health experts and improve access to interpreters in healthcare and mental health services 

“The young Ukrainians we interviewed in this study overall felt they had been welcomed in the UK, however it is also clear the uncertainty of their future here is damaging,” says report co-author Dr Natalia Kogut, who experienced these challenges herself, as she had to flee Kyiv with her children in 2022. “Something needs to be done regarding the visa extension as applicants are only allowed to apply 28 days prior to the original visa expiring. It is challenging to rent accommodation or find a job without any guarantees about the visa,” she stressed.  

Returning to Ukraine is not an option for many men and people from occupied territories. Men are at particular risk if required to return to Ukraine, as they are eligible for conscription in certain age. People from occupied territories and areas destroyed by the war are also especially vulnerable, having lost their assets and experienced trauma and loss.